The Man of Steel and Miss America
by Kal and Diana
Summary: Well this story is just an idea I had been throwing around for awhile.  Essentially, it is a Superman and Wonder Woman flick.  I own nothing, just the idea.
1. Chapter 1

I own the idea for the story, and nothing else. Heck if I owned DC Comics, Superman and Wonder Woman would totally be together, and Lois would not even be in the equation. Oh well, one can only hope. I used parts of Superman Returns, Smallville, a bit of Justice League and Justice League Unlimited.

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><p>The Man of Steel and Miss America –<p>

CHAPTER 1

He had returned. The Man of Steel, the Earth's Greatest and Most Powerful Hero had returned – Superman. After a five year absence, and a useless journey to where Krypton used to be, Kal-El, Krypton's Last Son had finally returned to Earth. And now he had just saved Lois Lane – again.

Lois looked at Superman. He looked slightly different. Physically, he was the same, tall, dark and strong, but she could see that there was sadness in his eyes.

He asked if they were alright, to which a few people nodded, as it seemed no one could talk. He then said that he hoped they were not turned off of flying, for, statistically speaking, it was still the safest way to travel. As he started walking out of the plane, it seemed as though people found their abilities to speech, and began calling out his name. He smiled and waved at them.

He stepped out of the plane to sound of people cheering. Giving people his famous Boy Scout grin and he pushes off. He gives the people a wave, and then, with a sonic boom, he disappears into the sky.

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><p>Five years. In that time, he had had a lot to think about. However, in that trip he had no idea of what to call himself. There were times when he felt like the awkward Clark Kent that makes his secrete identity somewhat believable, other times he felt like the kindly Superman, who has the powers of a God, but does not impose his will upon the people of Earth. Then there were the few times that he had actually felt like Kal-El – a cold planet's Last Son. One who was emotionally cold and distant, it was so different from his other alter egos that it sometimes was hard to tell how they could be the same person.<br>The latter was what he felt like when he finally reached Krypton's coordinates. There was nothing but a graveyard, and to escape the pain that he had felt for his people, he delved into that ego.

Now he was back on Earth, he saw how terrible the world had become since his departure. At seeing all the problems the Earth had, the old determination in him to make a difference, to be the Earth's Greatest Hero, resurfaced again.

He got the chance to show himself again to the world when he saw that the plane Lois was on go out of control. Though it was a little earlier than he would have wanted, he decided that it was a job for Superman.

Since he had been away from a yellow sun for awhile, his powers were not back at their full strength. Though he still was more than capable of saving the plane and the space shuttle, it was a little harder than it usually was. Still, he was able to bring the plane to a safe landing, and then flew over to the door of the airplane. Ripping it off, he floated inside, and he asked if everyone was alright. A few nodded, still in shock that they were alive. An x-ray of their bodies showed no internal injuries and that aside from the shock, there was nothing wrong with them. After saying a really lame line about flying being statistically safe, he then floated off the plane, and with a wave at the crowds, he was gone.

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><p>Three days later –<p>

The Metropolis Marvel was back in action. All over the world, the crime rates fell by an average of 90%. Indeed, in just a few days, her article about the world not needing a Superman was proven to be false. With Superman back in the world, he was saving people left and right, and even the notorious Gotham city had its crime rates reduced. Even though she was still harboring resentment against him, Lois had to admit that her article was outdated. She and Richard were going out for their 3rd anniversary dinner, but for some reason, Lois felt the need to go out and get some air in private. Her head was spinning, and she needed to go and feel the breeze up in the Metropolis skyline.

After she made it to the roof, she decided that, even though she was quitting, she needed to have a cigarette. When she lit her lighter, it was for some inexplicable reason, blown out. Slightly confused, she lit it again, with only the same result.

"You know you really shouldn't smoke Ms. Lane" said a voice from her past.

It was a coincidence. He had been on patrol when he saw her walk onto the roof. He had been putting it off, using the excuse that he was too busy to talk to her. However, now, seeing her there, he knew he had to clear the air. He floated down, and saw her light up. He blew out the lighter. She did it again, and he blew it out again. This time, however, he said, "You really shouldn't smoke Ms. Lane".

Since he had been silent, his voice startled her. "I am sorry; I had no intention of startling you."

"Its fine" was her abrupt reply.

There was a bit of an awkward silence, when Lois asked, "Why are you here?"

"Well, I am certain that there are several questions as to where I have been, and I thought that I could clear the air."

"So…you are here for an interview?" asked Lois, slightly surprised – and maybe a little disappointed. "Alright, let me find my tape recorder".

"It's in your left pocket."

Lois looked at him with a slight look of annoyance.

"Well…let's go for the biggie…where did you go?"

"I went to Krypton."

"But, I thought you had said that it had been destroyed many years ago."

"It was…but astronomers had thought they had found it. I just had to go; I had to see for myself."

"Interesting, so now that you are back, everyone is totally delighted in your return, so what happens next?" Lois asked sarcastically.

"I do not think that everyone is happy at my return Lois. I read the article. Though it was well written, I must ask you, why did you write it?"

"I had to write it to move on. The rest of the world moved on, Superman. The fact of the matter is that the world may have been struggling, but it was still able to survive, without its savior. So have I."

"I understand Lois. I know you are with Richard White, and I know you two will be happy together. I am sure that he is a good man."

"He is. Richard is always there for me. I love him, and I always will."

"Good I am glad. Listen Lois, I never wanted to hurt you, and I am sorry for all the suffering you went through."

Though she was still feeling angry, the anger was subsiding.

"…Will we see you?"

"Of course; I am always around." The smile that made all women melt appeared on his face.

* * *

><p>"Have good night Lois", was all that he said, and with a whoosh, he was gone.<p>

As he flew around, he decided that there was another visit that he had to make. It was to the one of the two men that he had ever called brother, and the only one that had not betrayed him.

Batman had just finished putting away some petty thugs. He had to admit, ever since Clark had returned from Krypton, Gotham was easier to take care of. It was not like Clark had stopped any crime there, as he always left that for Bruce, but he had stopped a dump truck, which had lost its brakes, from crashing into a mother walking with her baby, and a great deal of the criminal element was now too afraid to continue. Not only would they have to deal with the Batman, but now there was a chance that they would have to deal with Superman. That knowledge alone discouraged the great majority of the lesser criminals. Of course, people like the Joker kept on going, but for the most part, Gotham was safe.

There was a whoosh behind him. He knew that sound too well.

"So Clark how was Krypton?"

"What? How did you know that I went to Krypton?"

"I do not have to have x-ray vision or super hearing to put the pieces together. You left just after astronomers thought that they found the place where Krypton was. Putting it together was not rocket science chief."

"Why am I not surprised that you would figure it out?"

"Because I am the Batman" asked Bruce with a twitch to his lips.

"So you understand why I left?"

"Pretty much; the only question that I have left is when you are going to tell Lois why you left."

"Already did".

"Really? I did not expect that. I thought that you would chicken out until you could not put it off any further."

To this Clark remained silent.

"You did put it off as long as you could, didn't you?" Bruce guessed.

"Yeah." was all Clark said.

Then the unexpected happened. Probably the most feared hero of the entire world, the one that could make the hardest of criminals cry like babies with just a look started to chuckle.

Confused, Clark asked, "What are you laughing at?"

"You."

"Huh?"

"The mighty Superman, the strongest person in the world. The man that can move the planet, can blast fire out his eyes, curb the flow of a river of lava, and can move faster than the speed of light is afraid of a human woman."

"Shut up. Anyway, I should go."

"Wait, before you go Clark, I have some news for you."

"What is it?"

"In the Metropolis Museum of Natural History there was a meteor rock that was stolen."

"Kryptonite?"

"Yes."

"Luthor?"

"I have no proof, but he is one of the more likely suspects. You know that he got out of jail right?"

"Yes, and I am pretty mad about that."

"There were also a few crystals which were stolen from my Fortress."

"Oh lovely." Bruce said sarcastically.

"Tell me about it. I think that we should be on high alert."

"You know, you have always had a real knack for stating the obvious."

"Yeah, yeah. Anyway, I can hear a mild earthquake in China. I better go check it out."

"See you later."

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><p>Themyscira<p>

Princess Diana had done it. Yesterday, she had won the tournament. She was going to be the Ambassador of Themyscira to Man's World. Though she was very happy and proud of herself, she had to admit she was a little nervous.

While Diana was thinking about this, she heard a knock on her door.

"Come in."

The door opened, and her little sister, Princess Donna, walked into her room.

"Well sister, mother is still mad at you

"I know. I am sorry that I made her angry, but I feel that I have to do this."

"Yes, I know, and I am sure that mother does too. I think that she is just having issues with the fact that you and I are no longer children."

"I suppose so. I assume that all mothers are like that."

"Well, on a different topic, since you are going into Man's World, you are going to have to show me what kind of clothes they wear! I am so excited that you get to do this!"

Diana rolled her eyes. Donna _would _get excited about such things. "I am not going into Man's World to observe the clothes they wear, Donna."

"I know that, but while you are there, maybe you could look around, and maybe send something back?" Donna asked hopefully.

"I will see what I can do" Diana replied chuckling.

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><p>Well this is chapter 1. What do you think?<p>

I think I got the Lois and Superman dynamic going pretty good, but how is the Superman and Batman and the Diana and Donna going? This is the first time I have written these dynamics, and I would like some pointers. Anyway.

Chapter 2 is on its way.


	2. Chapter 2

Here is chapter 2, please Rate and review.

CHAPTER 2

It had been one crazy week. He had been so busy; he did not have time to really look for the person that had stolen the crystals. However, it seemed as though the mystery was going to be solved faster than he thought. Someone was building an island, and with a quick glimpse of his supervision, he could see that the formation was very similar to the landscape of Krypton. Now that he had Metropolis under control, he was going to see who was behind this, and rescue Lois. The irony of this situation was not lost upon Clark. Lois Lane wrote that she, and the world, did not need Superman, and yet, for the second time in one week, Lois had to be saved again by Superman.

"Simply amazing", thought Clark sarcastically.

He was about to blur out toward the island, when he heard a familiar voice.

"Superman" called Batman.

Turning his attention to the place where Batman was, he also saw some other people dressed in costumes. Two of them he knew. The first was J'onn J'onzz, better known as the Martian Manhunter. The other was Hal Jordan, Green Lantern. There was one that was dressed in Red with a yellow lightning bolt on his chest, and the other looked like a mix between an angel and a hawk.

"Yes Batman?"

Before Bruce could answer, the one dressed in red asked, "Superman…um…do you have any idea of what caused this?"

"Yes, it is an island that is being formed out a few miles from shore."

"An island? But how could an island be formed out in the middle of the ocean without warning?"

Just as Superman was about to reply, Batman interceded, and said, "All of your questions will be answered in a minute. Before we go any farther, Superman this is the Flash and this is Hawkgirl. You already know Lantern and Manhunter."

"It is good to meet you," Superman said politely before they began to get down to business.

"Flash, the island is being formed technology that was stolen from me. Batman, were you able to find out anything?"

"I found out that Luthor did make a trip up to the arctic, thanks to satellite imagery, but as to who stole the meteor rock, I have had no luck."

"Great. Just great," said Superman in frustration.

"What's the game plan?" asked Hal.

Those present began looking at Superman and Batman, as they knew that it was the Man of Steel and the Bat who had the most experience. While Batman thought of various scenarios, it was Superman that made the decision.

"I will go check it out. I want you all to wait here, and make sure that everything is safe while I am out there. Flash, if I am not back in 10 minutes, come after me."

"Superman wait –" Batman did not even have time to finish his sentence, as Superman blasted off.

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><p>Flying at supersonic speeds, Superman flew over the area, and saw Richard White's seaplane. White, however, was nowhere to be seen. Using X-ray vision, he could see the stern of Luthor's yacht. However, the bow of the ship seemed to be ripped off. With another scan, he saw the bow, and an unconscious Lois Lane being supported by an exhausted Richard White in an air pocket of the sinking bow of the ship. He then blurred into the water.<p>

Richard was treading water as long as he could, but he knew it was a hopeless case. He and the woman he loved would die in this watery abyss.

Looking into her face, he knew he had failed. "I love you Lois. I love you so much, I am so sorry I can't save you," Richard thought regretfully. Just as he was about to give up all hope, there was a loud clunk sound. Looking up, he saw red boots, and then suddenly felt the entire ship being pulled out of the water. The next thing he knew, the door was ripped off, and he could see a man in red and blue.

"Give me your hand. Make sure you have her," was the first thing Superman said.

After Richard grabbed his hand, Superman asked him, "Are you sure that you have her?"

"Yeah" was all Richard could muster.

Suddenly, the entire ship fell. Looking down, Richard could see it sinking again. As it turned out, _The Gertrude_ would not be his and Lois' grave.

After making it possible for Richard to fly his plane away, Clark flew over the island itself.

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><p>"He's been gone too long," thought Batman. There were a couple things that the team of superheroes had been working on, but for the most part, Metropolis was back online.<p>

He could hear the team coming in. "Flash, go out there now."

"Why? He has only been gone for seven and a half minutes. Superman said ten minutes."

"Trust me on this. He is going to need help now." Had Superman waited for him to explain his reason to wait, he would know the risk. If his hypothesis proved to be right, the entire island would be little more than a rock of Kryptonite that is double the size of Madagascar.

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><p>Wally was running pretty fast. To be able to run across water, you had to. However, he figured that he did not have to go so fast, because this was Superman he was looking for. In all probability, he was fine. After all, he is Superman. However, Wally did not know how wrong he was about to be proved.<p>

A few minutes later, he was running on the island, remarking to himself that he had never seen such a cold landscape in his whole life. He then heard a scream of agony. A second later, he saw a sight that he did not think possible. Superman was staggering to his feet, standing in front of Lex Luthor, and a few thugs. Luthor said something to Superman, the latter then stumbled, seemingly unable to find his feet, before he fell off the island. At seeing this, the Flash ran with all his might, and was able get to Superman before he started to sink too far into the water.

Running onto shore, Flash easily found where Batman and the rest of the team were, and brought Superman there.

"Yo! Bats, I've got Superman. He's in rough shape," called Flash.

"Damn. I knew it."

"What's wrong with him" asked Hawkgirl.

"I have no clue. All I know is that while I was on the island, and I heard a scream. The next thing that I knew is that I saw Lex Luthor, and he said something to Superman, and Superman fell off the island. But what I want to know is, what the heck can hurt Superman?"

"Kryptonite" was all Batman said.

"What?" Both Hawkgirl and Flash asked.

"Kryptonite; it is the radioactive pieces of his home world. For the most part it is harmless to humans, though long term contact with it has been known to cause cancer. However, to Kryptonians, the radiation it emits is deadly. At first it makes them sick, until they get weaker and weaker, and eventually they die." Said the Martian Manhunter.

Meanwhile, while J'onn was informing Hawkgirl and Flash, he and GL were looking at Superman waiting for him to recover. However, he was not. It was then that he realized that Luthor had not taken any chances. Luthor had probably stabbed Clark, repeatedly, and then basically forced him off the island. Flash had said that he had heard a scream, and considering Clark had never been stabbed before, it would fit. Flipping Clark over onto his front, he saw Luthor's handy-work. He saw several stab wounds, and in the biggest wound, he saw a flashing green rock. Reaching into his utility belt, he grabbed a pair of pliers, and grabbed hold of the Kryptonite. Getting a firm grip on it, he pulled, hard. There was a slight groan from Superman. Batman pulled again, and he heard another groan. Finally with a third great pull, the entire six inch piece of Kryptonite came out. Superman cried out and his fist hit the ground in a reflex.

"J'onn, throw this away."

"Yes Batman"

Once the Kryptonite was thrown away, the team looked as Superman's wounds healed. Within a couple of minutes, Superman got up, with a slight stagger.

"Thank you."

"Great, what are we going to do now?" Flash asked.

Having recovered enough to formulate a plan, Superman stood tall. "We all need to work together here. Flash, there are crystals that Luthor has, and they are six to eight inches long. Luthor stole them from me, so I want you to take them back. I am not asking for myself, but if Luthor could do all of this again if he is left with those crystals. Hawkgirl, Lantern, I want the two of you to make sure that Luthor and his goons do not escape. J'onn, I want you and Batman to evacuate the waterfront. In case what I do fails, I want to make sure that there is as little loss of life as possible."

Batman growled, "Superman, you had better not being doing what I know you are thinking."

"There is no other way, Batman. This is the only way to save billions of people's lives."

"What? What is he going to do?" Flash asked.

Superman looked at all of them, and with certain finality, he said, "Good-bye everyone." And with a sonic boom, Superman disappeared into the sky.

"Damn it Kent" mumbled Batman, as he and the rest of the team took their various assignments.

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><p>Clark flew up into the sky. He knew that the feat he was going to do was probably going to kill him, but, he knew he had to succeed because if he did not, millions, if not billions, of people would die. Clark could not allow that to happen. Though he was enjoying the energy boost the Sun was giving him, he knew that he had to act now. Looking down, he made sure that nothing was in his path, and then heated up his eyes. With a tremendous blast of fire, he weakened the ground that he was about to go into. Then with an explosion of speed, he sped down, breaking into the ground, and going down.<p>

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><p>Lex Luthor felt good. Superman was dead, and he now had his beautifutl beachfront property. Granted it was a little alien, but hey! He had finally bested Superman. He looked at the crystals. "My God, they are so beautiful," thought Luthor. Suddenly they disappeared.<p>

"Hey Luthor, I believe that these belong to a friend of mine," said a young man in red tights.

"Who the hell are you?" Luthor asked very much agitated.

"Well, some people call me the Scarlet Speeder, but I am best known as the Flash, and you are so busted," replied Wally cockily.

By this time, Luthor's henchmen had gathered around him. "You honestly think that you can beat all of us?" asked Luthor.

"Oh, I do not have to, they are," Flash said will a cocky smile.

"What?"

Then Green Lantern and Hawkgirl attacked. As tough as the Luthor thought his henchmen were, in under a minute, they were beaten into pulps. "How pathetic; they are trained mercenaries, and look at them sniveling like babies" thought a disgusted Luthor

"Into the helicopter, now!" shouted Hawkgirl.

As Luthor was looking a little defiant, Hal said to him, "I would do as she says if I were you. She is an alien warrior, who loves to fightm and is in a bad mood." Luthor decided that it would be a good thing to listen the Green clad hero.

While the Flash, Green Lantern, and Hawkgirl were taking care of Luthor, J'onn J'onzz and Batman were evacuating people from the Metropolis waterline. Though some of the citizens wanted to see what was happening, when faced with the scowl of Batman, and the looks of the Martian Manhunter, they quickly followed the direction of the two heroes.

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><p>Meanwhile –<p>

Clark pushed hard. He had felt the effects of the Kryptonite when he first hit the ocean floor; however, he was able to push past it. Hopefully, everything on the surface was alright, and everything went according to plan, as he could not put it off any further. The island was growing by the second, and was now half the size of Greenland – and it was all made of Kryptonite. It was time to act. Gathering all his strength, Superman started to lift the island.

Flash, Lantern, and Hawkgirl had Luthor and his people in the helicopter, which Hal was carrying thanks to is ring. Hawkgirl was carrying Flash, something Wally really did not mind in the least. His reasons were that Luthor may try to escape, and 3 pairs of eyes were better than 2. Even though both Hal and Hawkgirl were a little suspicious about his reasons, they still went for it.

"I wonder what Superman is doing?" Flash wondered out loud.

"Whatever it is, he sure had Batman angry about his decision" replied Hawkgirl.

"Well, whatever he is doing, it must not be anywhere near the island, considering that a rock of Kryptonite half the size of your fist can take Big Blue out," said Hal.

As if it were planned, they began hearing a rumble, and suddenly, they saw the entire island beginning to rise.

Both Flash and Hawkgirl looked at GL, and said, "You were saying?"

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><p>Batman and J'onn were, for the most part, succeeding in getting people to leave the waterfront area.<p>

"Do you have any idea what Kal-El is going to do?" asked J'onn.

"Unfortunately, yes I do. He is going to lift the island" replied Bruce.

"What? But…it is made of Kryptonite…it will kill him."

"Yes. Yes it will." Was what the Batman said, as he felt the ground shake. Looking into the distance, he could see the island begin to lift into the sky.

"Oh my God," said Flash, "it…is…is he lifting all that?"

"I think so" said Green Lantern. He looked at Hawkgirl, who was speechless. She had no idea that any single person could have such strength.

* * *

><p>Pain; there seemed to be no adjective that he could use to describe the pain that he was in. The harder Superman pushed the more pain that he was in. However, he knew that if he was to drop it, it would crash into the water, and it would cause a tremendous wave, that could wipe out the entire city of Metropolis. He had to keep going. There was no question in it. He had to do this.<p>

Suddenly, he felt a slight burst of strength, and he realized that he must be outside of the Earth's atmosphere. Out of the corner of his eye he could see the Sun, but by this time, it was too late. With all his remaining strength, he hurled the island into space. Watching it float away, he fell into unconsciousness. He did not even realize that he was falling.

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><p>Themyscira –<p>

Diana was enjoying herself on the beach. Within a few days, Themyscira would open up her borders and send her ambassador into the world. The role of ambassador was Diana's, as she won it through fair combat. Artemis was still a little angry that she had lost, but she was taking gratefully – for Artemis that is. In any case, it would not matter. Artemis would get over it sooner or later. Diana felt the stress of all this, and even though there had been a couple of times with her sister Donna, she really did not have time to relax. This was the first time in over a week, as learning customs of Man's World was a little tougher than she thought it would be.

Suddenly there was an explosion. The entire island seemed to shake. Immediately, Diana flew out looking at what all the commotion was. The temple of Apollo was in ruins, and her sisters were gathering around. Some were in shock, others were angry, and others were merely curious.

Queen Hippolyta saw her eldest daughter flying overhead, and knowing that she could not dissuade Diana, she decided to follow her daughter and make sure she would be alright. When she saw her daughter standing there, she saw that in the smoke, there was a flash of red and blue. Taking a closer look, she saw something she had hoped never to see on Themyscira ever again.

"Mother, what is it?" Diana asked.

"A man."

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><p>Well here is chapter 2. As usual, rate and review. Later all!<p> 


	3. Chapter 3

As usual, I own nothing just the idea.

CHAPTER 3 –

The senate was in a hot debate. This debate was so far, the longest in senate history. There was one side of the senate that felt that the man that landed onto the shores of Themyscira should be put to death. However, there was the other side of the senate that felt that the man should be kept alive, just until he can regain consciousness. Then, depending on his business with Themyscira, he could be sent away, or put to death. It had been going on for literally 5 days straight, and though it still seemed to be going strong, it was becoming clear to the majority of the Amazons present that the man would be killed. He was guilty of being a man on an island of Paradise, which alone was deserving of the death penalty, and he also destroyed a temple. It seemed as though the blue and red clad man would die.

"Zeus, my lord?" Hermes asked his father.

"What is it, Lord Hermes? Speak," said Zeus.

"It appears that there has been an intruder onto the shores of Themyscira."

"Oh, really? And who might it be?" Zeus asked, even though he already knew who it was. He knew from the moment that the person passed through the magical barrier.

"It is the hero from the outside world. The one the mortals all call Superman."

"Yes I know. What of it?"

"He is unconscious on Themyscira. Do you know how he got into that state?" asked Hermes. This intrigued Zeus, because from all accounts, this child of the stars was tremendous in power.

"I do not. Please explain."

"One of his enemies stole some technology from him. Using this technology, his enemy was able to create an island made completely of Superman's weakness. This island grew to a great size, and was almost double the size of Themyscira."

"Continue."

"To save lives of many mortals, this Superman lifted the island, and threw it into space."

"Impressive. This island was made of his weakness, you said. What does this weakness do to him?"

"It basically weakens him, until he dies. A rock about the size of a mortal's palm can bring the Kryptonian down, and even kill him." Hermes replied.

"Amazing; so why mention this to me?"

"Well my lord, I would think that an alliance with such a person could be most beneficial for Olympus."

"I have no use for allying with mortals."

"He is no mortal. Every day that he lives on Earth, he gets stronger. There could come a time when even the united forces of Olympus may not be even a match for him."

"Impossible."

"It is the truth my lord."

Zeus thought about this. He himself had studied the Kryptonian, and from all accounts, he was already much stronger than his favorite son Heracles. With his most recent feat, Zeus began to realize that the Kryptonian had powers that even Ares would covet.

"What kind of alliance do you suggest?"

"Well my lord, I suggest that we have the Kryptonian and one of the Amazonian princesses marry each other."

"Marriage?"

"Of course my lord; what could be stronger than a matrimonial alliance? If you command it, the Amazons will have to comply."

Zeus thought for a minute. "I can think of one stronger than that; the Kryptonian will have to marry Diana. Being both a princess and the Champion of Olympus will surely bring about a strong alliance."

"So, may I go?"

"Yes, but I shall go with you. It will amuse me to see the Amazons faces when we tell them."

"Yes my lord," said Hermes, bowing before his father.

Hippolyta, Queen of the Amazons, was relieved. The senate had come to its decision. The man would be put to death. Just as she was about to make it final, there was a tremendous light in the room. Suddenly, they saw Hermes and Zeus himself.

"My Lords," Hippolyta said, with great surprise.

"Hello Queen," said Zeus. "It has come to my attention that there is a man on Themyscira."

"Yes my Lord," answered the Queen.

"Good. It is my will that the man will live. The Amazons will heal him."

"Very well my Lord".

"If you have a question Hippolyta, ask it."

"My only question is, why are you taking such interest in this man?"

"Simple. He is a man of great power; and every day that he lives that power becomes greater. I want to have an alliance with this man, so that he does not fight against Olympus, as that could be, unpleasant for the gods."

"Yes my Lord, but, if I could just ask one more question, what kind of alliance?"

"A matrimonial alliance; and since you are so interested in this man, you will also be interested to know that he is to be your son in law."

This caught the Queen by surprise, "Excuse me my Lord?"

"Are you questioning me Queen Hippolyta," asked Zeus, coolly.

"Never my Lord, but it is a shock. It – he is to marry one of my daughters?"

"Not either one, but Diana. Being both the princess of Themyscira and the Champion of Olympus, she is the obvious choice."

Hippolyta, just stood there in shock. Zeus could see this, and said, "Now, I will not waste any more time here. But before I go, I give all of you this warning," turning his attention to all the Amazons present, "if any harm comes to this man, the punishment will be great indeed."

With that said, Hermes and Zeus left.

"What?" asked two shocked sisters.

"It is the truth," said the mother. "It is the will of Zeus that the man lives, and he is to marry Diana."

"But…why?" asked Donna.

"I have no clue. Zeus may have said, but I am in such shock myself, that the only thing that I can remember from the conversation was what I just told you."

"I can't believe this," cried out Donna, "Diana is going to have to marry a man!"

"If it is Zeus will, I will have to do this," said Diana.

"Diana! How can you say that?" asked Donna, "this man could ruin your life!"

"I know, but what other choice do I have?"

"You could say no!" suggested Donna.

"We all know we could not do that. If Zeus does not get what he wants, we all know that the punishment would be harsh. Not just for me, but for all the Amazons; it is not fair for the rest of the tribe," said Diana.

"But…but…"

"Enough Donna," the Queen said, "we all dislike this, but we have to do it. We may as well see if the man has waked yet."

"Yes mother," said a rather glum Donna.

Pain; it was the last thing that he could remember. However, now he was feeling better. A little queasy and weak, but the great pain was gone. Opening his eyes, he saw a marble ceiling. Looking around, he realized that he was surrounded by marble floors, walls, and even some of the furniture in the room was marble. However, he could also see ointments, and pillars. It looked as though he had gone back in time.

"This is weird, I wonder if its real or I am hallucinating," Clark said to himself.

Then four stunningly beautiful women walked in the room, all wearing togas – or whatever the proper name for them was.

"Well, I guess this clinches it. I am dreaming, "thought Clark. Though he had nothing to be ashamed of, he pulled the sheet that was over him a little higher up on his chest. Even though he wore tights, and those tights had underwear on the front, he was still a very modest person.

One of them came up beside him, and started to mix something in a cup. The next thing he knew, she put into his hand, and in heavily accented English, she said, "Drink this now". The tone in which she told him to drink it; he decided that the best thing to do would be to comply without question. So he took a drink. It was, without a doubt, one of the worst things he had ever tasted. It was then that he realized that he was not dreaming, and that this was all real. Even though his powers were much weaker than usual, his taste buds were still exceptional. Making a face, he looked at the woman that gave it to him.

"I hope you do not find me rude, but this stuff is horrible. What is it?"

"Various herbs; it is not supposed to be a drink that you enjoy. It is supposed to be a drink that makes you want to stay healthy, so that you do not have to drink it," the woman said with a twitch of her lips.

Smiling, he said, "Well, I suppose it works really well."

"Yes I suppose it does."

One of the other women came up to him, and asked, "Who are you?"

Though her accent was heavy, it was easier to understand than the other woman's. Though it was a bit of a surprise that she did not know who he was, he decided that his Kryptonian name would be the easiest for him to introduce himself as.

"My name is Kal-El."

"How did you get here? Why are you here?" asked the woman.

"Actually, I was hoping you could tell me the answer to the first question, and as to the second, I don't even know where here is!"

This one looked like she was pondering over what he said. The other, the tallest and the most beautiful stared right at him, and said, "You are on the island of Themyscira."

"Themyscira…I have heard that name before, but I cannot place where it is. Which continent is it off of?" Clark asked.

"That would be none of your business," replied the tall one.

At seeing how they almost looked as though they were ready to spring into attack if he breathed the wrong way, he decided that he had better be careful with his final question.

"What happened when I came onto Themyscira?"

"You broke through the magical barrier that protects the island, and ended up destroying a temple!" The youngest looking one cried out.

Destroyed a temple? What the heck was she talking about? "I am sorry, I did hear that fully, I did what?"

The younger one took a deep breath and said slowly, "You broke through the magical barrier, and destroyed the Temple of Apollo."

"Apollo – the Greek God – what the heck happened to me? Where am I?" thought Clark. Out loud, he said, "I apologize for the damage that I did. I will repair the damage as soon as I can." This earned him stares from all the women in the room.

The one that had started talking to him first, and was evidently a doctor of some sort, said, "The patient needs his rest."

The one that seemed to act like a queen looked at him, and said, "We will talk later. Rest now." With that, all four women left the room.

"What do you think Epoine?" Donna asked.

"I can honestly say that I have never seen a man like him," replied Epoine. "He is friendly, but by the same time, one can detect a slight sadness in his voice. From the feats he has already displayed, I would think that he would be more arrogant, but he was polite, and even seemed a little shy. I would think that anyone who could fall from the sky and destroy a temple, and yet live would be a little more confident about himself."

"What do you think sis?"

"I agree with Epoine. He did have sadness in his voice, and he did not seem arrogant. However, I did not see where Epoine got the idea that he was shy," Diana replied thoughtfully.

"I did," said Hippolyta. "When we walked in the room, he pulled the bedclothes up a little higher on his chest. From what I could see, he had nothing that he could be ashamed of, so we can only assume that he was a little shy. This Kal-El is a surprising man."

"How do you think that he will react when he finds out he has to get hitched to Diana?" Donna asked.

"Excuse me? Hitched?" Diana asked in complete confusion.

"In Man's World, that is a term for getting married." Donna said in a very matter-of-a-fact manner.

"And just WHO did you learn that from young lady?" Hippolyta asked, with a raised eyebrow.

"Er…ummmm…"

Well there we go. Chapter 3. R & R if you could be so kind.

In review, the main idea of this story is Wonder Woman and Superman are forced into marriage by Diana's gods. Wow great start eh?

Eventually, they will fall in love.

However, Chapter 4 may take me a little while to upload. Also, this is my first time writing Epoine, so how am I doing?

Another thing I should mention is that Batman is harboring a little bit of resentment on Superman for leaving without telling him. He may understand Superman's reasons, but he is feeling a little slighted that the man he views as a brother did not confide in him. So he is kind of taking it out on Superman with sarcasm. So I suppose you could say that Superman and Batman will have a bit of a heart to heart in the future. Batman should mellow out in his dealings with the Man of Steel in the future. (Glad to know people are reading this btw!)

Ok, well, I suppose this is it. I hope you all enjoyed it.


	4. Chapter 4

_As usual, I own nothing - _

* * *

><p>CHAPTER 4 –<p>

How long had it been? Clark did not have any idea. It could have been a few days; it could have been a few weeks since he had lifted the island – maybe even months. Never having lifted an island that was made of Kryptonite before could have effects on his body that no one would ever fully understand. Just great; at least as a guy, he could not complain about the place he landed – out of all the women that he had met in his life, even as Superman, only Maxima could hold a candle to the 4 women that he had met. However, as a responsible and moral person, he wished he had landed in a more remote area, where there were no people, and the damage that he could have done would be minimal.

"Oh well," thought Clark. Hopefully he would recover soon, rebuild whatever he destroyed, and be on his way. He had a lot to do when he got back; make sure that there were no repercussions on what Luthor had done, make sure that the team of heroes did their jobs and were safe. Yes much to be done. He would also have to talk to Bruce; ever since he got back Bruce was more sarcastic with him than usual. He knew Bruce teased him and used sarcasm at times, simply because they were both like brothers. However, the sarcasm had been a little stronger, so something must be bother him, and Clark was ready to bet that it was he and his trip to Krypton was the main reason behind it.

Deciding to test his abilities, he tested his hearing. Though it was very good, he knew that it would be a little while before he could hear cells divide on the other side on the planet – not that he ever did that. His x-ray vision worked for a minute, but cut out, as did his heat vision. It would probably be for the best if he did not test his breath powers, as that could get a little bit messy, so he decided to try flying. After trying it, he found that he could float without any problems, but flying was still out the question. Judging from how he felt, he doubted that he could lift a mountain – which may seem to be huge, but considering that he could usually move a planet without breaking a sweat really put it into perspective. He also doubted that he could break the sound barrier by running, as his legs felt like jelly. Oh well, it was better than he thought it would be.

A few minutes later, the 4 women walked into the room. The one that seemed to be a doctor came up to him and asked how he was feeling.

"Well, I have felt better, but I seem to be doing all right," Clark said, using his best boyscout smile, all the while making the sheet was pulled up higher on his chest. "If I may, how long have I been here?"

"You may, but not at this time, for you are going to listen to me for a few minutes," said the one that looked and acted as a Queen.

"Okay."

"When you landed on our island, Kal-El, you committed a great offense. You should have been put to death immediately, as per say our laws."

"Huh? Ummmm…I am sorry that I broke a law, but I must point out that I was unconscious. I had no control over where I was going to land."

"Yes, I know. We amazons may distrust men, but we are not barbarians. We would not kill a defenceless person, especially one that seemed to be on death's door, such as you."

"So now that I am getting better, will I be put to death?" Clark asked, getting a little concerned.

"No; though there are several amazons that would like to see you dead, you will be released as soon as possible."

Looking visibly relieved Clark replied, "thank goodness."

"However, there is one condition."

"Ah crap, I knew there would be a but somewhere," thought Clark. Out loud he said, "What is this condition?"

The Queen looked a little put off as she began. "It is the will of Zeus that you marry one of the Amazons. However, not just any one of us, but the one that was chosen to be the Champion of tribe through fair combat; she also happens to be the Princess of Themyscira."

"M – M – Marriage? What…what would be the punishment if I refused?"

"The punishment for you would probably be death. However, the order would come from Zeus himself, so we cannot say for certain."

"I can live with that."

"But the punishment for the Amazons would be great indeed," the Queen added.

"What? You mean your god would punish you for something that I did? How is that fair?" asked Clark.

"It is not, but, who are we to go against our gods?"

"Could I have some time to think about this? Please?"

"Very well; you have one hour."

"Thank you."

"Oh by the way, would you like to see the woman you are to marry?"

"Uh…sure."

The Queen signalled to the tallest and most beautiful woman, who stepped forward and said, "I am she."

* * *

><p>It had been almost 50 minutes by Clark's guess. The Queen gave him an hour to decide. One hour; how in the heck could he ever decide about such an important decision? This was marriage! This was probably going to be the most important decision of his life, and he only had one hour to make it. The pros and cons of the situation were going around him hard. Were he to say yes, there would probably be a 99.9% chance that the princess and he had nothing in common, and they would have an empty marriage. Call him old fashioned, but he felt that a marriage could only be made if both parties had several things in common, and actually knew each other well. He had barely spoken 10 sentences to this woman! He also doubted that there would be such a thing as divorce on this island, as this match was supposedly made by a god. Zeus; he must have a vicious sense of humour. Why else would he want a marriage between a princess and champion of her people, and himself; a farmer's son? The whole idea sounded ludicrous, and had he been anyone else, he would have thought that he was going crazy, but considering who he was, this did not even make the top five ludicrous things he had seen. The fact that he was an alien from a distant galaxy was harder to believe than this – at least to the everyday person. Oh well, even if there was a way for there to be a divorce, Clark knew that he would not take it. He knew this was really old-fashioned of him, but he could not bring himself to use it. He would rather do his best to fight for the marriage and make it work. He could not see himself using divorce as a backup plan.<p>

On the other hand, if he did not marry the princess, what would happen to the Amazons? They had said that the punishment against them would be heavy. How heavy, he suspected that even they did not know, but again, he knew in his heart that he could never let anyone suffer for his sake. In retrospect, he guessed that was why he lifted the island all by himself. He knew that Hal or J'onn could have helped him – they may not be physically strong enough to lift it all alone, but together they could have moved the island away. The only reason why he did it himself was due to the fact that it was his fault. Had he a better protection for the crystals, none of that could have happened. It would have been better for everyone. He knew he could not let it live on his conscious that anyone suffered for his mistake. If the fault was his, the remedy must also be his. He would never give way. By saying this, he also knew what his decision would be. He would have to marry the princess.

"I suppose that I can think of worse fates," mused Clark. "She is gorgeous." Though Clark was not one to be swayed by a person's looks, and tried to see what a person looked like on the inside, he did notice beauty when he saw it. And boy, did he ever see it with this princess. As both Superman and Clark Kent, he saw physical beauty every day; as Superman he saw millions of extremely beautiful women, Maxima being at the top, with that Obsession character being not too far behind. As Clark, he saw both Lois Lane and Cat Grant almost all the time. There was another thing that he had to do – he would have to see if Perry White would take Clark Kent back as a reporter. To avoid raising suspicion, he would probably have to go there after a few weeks – after Superman's return has cooled down a little bit.

* * *

><p>It had almost been an hour. Hippolyta was getting a little irritated. She figured once the man saw Diana; he would jump at the chance to get married to her. On the other hand, he surprised them all when he asked to think about his decision. This surprised her, because last time she checked, men usually did not think with their heads, but another part of their body. And whenever they saw a pretty face or attractive body, they only had a one track mind. Diana had both to an extreme degree – being blessed by Aphrodite, it came naturally to her. However, it did not seem to sway this Kal-El. It was most strange.<p>

"What do you think his decision will be?" Donna asked, breaking the silence.

Sighing, Hippolyta replied, "I do not know. I am so frustrated. No matter what he will decide, I will hate his choice. If he marries Diana, I will most likely be subjecting my daughter to the will of a man, something I swore that I would never do. If he chooses to try and run, Zeus would strike him down, and the punishment against us amazons would be very heavy – it may even mean the obliteration of over half the tribe."

"I hate this man! He has caused us so much trouble!" cried out Donna.

For some reason, Diana felt compelled to defend him, "Now Donna, to be fair, he was unconscious, and if I am any judge of character, I do not think that he actually wants to be here. It is like he wants nothing more than to be away from here."

"Now you are defending him? How could you?" shouted Donna.

"Donna!" Both Diana and Hippolyta said together, in a shocked tone.

"I apologize for my outburst, but can you not see how this man is driving us apart?"

"I know Donna, but what can we do? Zeus wills it, and you know that we cannot rebel against him." Hippolyta said in a calming way.

"I know."

"Well we may as well go and see what his decision is," Diana suggested.

Clark had made his decision, but he decided that it would probably be best for him to get up. He had just put on his pants when the women returned, with the exception of the doctor. They looked a little embarrassed about barging in on him, but the Queen quickly recovered.

"Have you made your decision, Kal-El?"

"Yes, your majesty, I have."

At his calling her by her title, she looked at him in surprise, and reminded her to ask how he knew that she was a Queen. Out loud she asked, "What is your decision?"

"I will marry the Princess and champion of Themyscira. However, I would like to ask one thing."

"You are in no position to make demands," growled the younger princess.

"That may be true, but if you would just listen to me, I think that you may like this."

"Continue," said the Queen.

"I will marry your daughter, but if it is all the same to you, I would rather fix the damage I did to your island first and then leave as soon as possible; as I do not want to impose any longer.

His soon to be mother-in-law asked, "Why are you like this?"

It was his turn to give her a strange look, "Like what?"

"You are marrying the best Themyscira has to offer, and you are more concerned about fixing the damages that you did. You have nothing to hide on your body, and yet you try to be modest. You speak with confidence and seem to be knowledgeable, but at the same time you seem to be shy. Why is this so?"

"Well, as for the first, I do not want other people to suffer because of my mistakes. That is why I am concerned about fixing the damages that I caused, and as to your later questions, I suppose it was my upbringing. My adoptive parents tried to teach me to be a gentleman, and I guess somewhere along the lines, it sunk into my head."

After he said this, there was a bit of an awkward silence. After about a minute, Clark could not handle any more, and with a small smile, he asked, "I hope you do not see me as rude, but as I am, for all intents and purposes, going to be related to you through marriage, would it be too much to ask for your names?

* * *

><p>TWO DAYS LATER –<p>

It had been pretty busy for the past two days. Kal-El astounded the Amazons by bringing the temple that he had destroyed back to its former glory within a day, thanks to his abilities. For some reason, they found it strange that a man who had the approval of Zeus and had abilities that seemed to defy anything that they had ever seen before. Even though he was still feeling a little weak, he was now able to work at speeds that they could not even see. The only glimpse that they caught of him was the odd blur of motion, when he slowed down a little bit to ensure that the specific piece of work that he was doing was absolutely perfect. Many of the Amazons were giving him angry looks, but they all were amazed by both his looks and his abilities. Even Donna was amazed. However, Hippolyta felt that they were not going to be the only ones that were to be surprised. So far, Kal-El had not seen either of her daughters much, and Hippolyta had told them not to allow him to see or hear that both of her daughters had been gifted by the Gods. Yes, if the man did try anything with either of them, he would be surprised. If the man tried to do something to any of the Amazons, he would be very surprised indeed! Hippolyta was not going to forget about Heracles. Hera, that still gave her pain – not so much what Heracles did to her, but what his men did to her sisters; she wanted to shield her daughters from this, but the fates were against her in this endeavour. Today, Diana would marry this Kal-El. She felt sick to her stomach, but she knew that this was for the best of the entire tribe. Diana would never allow anyone else to suffer for her choice, and though this sense of duty made her proud of her daughter, right now she wished that Diana was just a little more self-centred. At least Kal-El did not seem to be a violent person; in fact, it seemed that he would have rather face Zeus displeasure than have to marry Diana; it was only threat against her sisters that made him change his mind.

"Maybe men have changed," Hippolyta thought. However, as nice as the idea seemed, she dismissed the idea. An expression from Man's World stuck her; a leopard cannot change its spots. This was the same with men, they could not change the ways that they had had for thousands of years.

Shaking her head, she went to see Diana.

* * *

><p>Diana inspected herself in the mirror. Though she was not a very vain person, she did want to look presentable.<p>

The thought, "What am I doing?" sounded through her head repeatedly. She was Diana of Themyscira, Princess of her people and trained warrior. Themyscira's _best _warrior at only 25 years old – no small feat, considering that other Amazons, such as her mother, or Philipus were over 3,000 years old, and had been fighting and training all their lives. She was also one of the best diplomats that Themyscira had ever produced – only her mother could be considered greater. And yet, with all of her skills, she was about to do the one thing that she never thought she would ever do. She was going to marry a man. She was feeling very strange – it was a mixture of hate, anger and sadness. Hate because she had heard of what men had done to her sisters and in particular, what men had done to her mother; anger at Zeus because it was he that was forcing her to marry this man; and she was feeling sadness because she knew that what she was doing was upsetting to all of her sisters.

There was a knock at her door, and the next moment, Donna opened the door. Donna looked irate – so unlike her normal, almost too cheery self.

"You look great sis," Donna said.

"Thank you."

Donna made no other comment and only looked out the window.

"Is there something wrong Donna?"

"OF COURSE THERE IS! You, the heir of Themyscira, are marrying a man! And not just any man, but one that has been compared by at least half the Amazons as Heracles," fumed Donna.

"Really; half the Amazons have complained," Diana asked uncertain of what to make of it.

"Ok, it has really been just mother and I, but don't you see? He has the powers and the looks of a demi-god, and it is obvious that Zeus respects him, because why else would he want you to marry him?"

"That is true, but what would you have me do? Risk the lives of our sisters, just so I do not have to marry a man that I do not like?"

"There are many Amazons that would rather risk Zeus wrath than watch you marry this man!"

"Really, or is it just another case of mother and yourself?"

To this Donna made an angry face.

"Donna, sister…do you honestly think that I want this? Do you think that I have not compared him to Heracles myself? And as you say, do you really think that I want to marry him, me being the heir of the throne on Themyscira?" Diana continued, "I really hate to do this, but we both know I have to."

The only thing that replied to Diana was a solitary tear that came down Donna's right eye. At seeing this, Diana touched her sister's arm and said, "You do not have to worry Donna. I know what I am doing. Remember, if he tries anything, I can protect myself."

"I know. I just wish there was something that I could do to stop this."

"I do too Donna, but I can see one good thing in this – since I am to marry him, I may have an ally when I go out into Man's World."

"That sounds a little too optimistic Diana."

"That is true, but what choice do I have?"

After this, the sisters stayed silent. This silence was broken by a knock at the door, and Hippolyta opening the door.

"Are you ready daughter?"

"Yes."

Hippolyta could feel her eyes burning with tears, and said, "I wish I could have steered you away from this."

"I know."

"I am so sorry. I tried my best from keeping both of you away from the tournament, but I now see that I did not do enough."

Diana replied, "No mother; even if you had chained me with the strongest chains that you could possibly find, I would still have found a way. This is my destiny, and I accept it."

"Yes, you are stubborn in that respect; both of you are – something a fear that you learned from me."

"Well that goes without saying," Donna said absent minded way. However, the minute they left her mouth she instantly regretted them.

"What was that?" Hippolyta asked calmly, "what did you say to your Queen, Princess of Themyscira?"

"...nothing your majesty."

"That is what I thought."

To this exchange, Diana had to chuckle. Her sister was always getting in some sort of trouble, because, as the expression goes, her foot always in her mouth.

"Well, we may as well leave now and get this over with," suggested Diana.

* * *

><p>Clark was wearing strange clothes. The best word for this would be toga, but right at the moment, he felt that he was wearing nothing more than a sheet. How in the heck was anyone to wear this?<p>

"Are you ready man?" A heavy accented Amazon asked him; however, no matter how strong the accent, he would have to be deaf not to be able to hear the venom in her voice.

"Yes, thank you," was his reply.

The ceremony went surprisingly well. Though he was getting very terrible looks from pretty well all the Amazons, none of them attacked him – yet. There was a feast, but there was not really many people eating. There was music, but no one was dancing; Clark could honestly feel that the majority of people were staring at him harshly; particularly his new sister in law Donna. He had no idea of what he could say or do, so basically, the only thing he did was just sit there and keep his head lowered, and he was thinking of an excuse that he could use so that he could escape.

Just when he thought he had a plausible excuse woman, Queen Hippolyta asked him, "Kal-El, how did you know that I was a Queen?"

Confused, Clark replied, "Because you told me, your majesty."

"No, no, before that; you called me your majesty before I told you my name or who I was?"

"Oh, that. Well, I have met enough royalty in my life to know it when I see it. It was in the way that you carried yourself, and the way you spoke. It was easy to see that you were no ordinary in the least, your majesty."

"So, you credit yourself with being insightful?"

"No not really. If anything, I am too naive; it is one of the things that my allies often fault me on. One person in particular says that I am both too naive and that I am far too trusting."

Interested, Hippolyta next asked, "So do you team up with your allies often?"

"Not as often as I would like. There is one man I partner up with more than the rest, but even with him, I do not partner up with much. However, we work well with each other."

"Really; why is this?"

"I suppose it is because we complement each other; I say this, basically because we are total opposites in the way we go about things. He is more subtle, whereas I am more of head in and make a bang sort of person. He likes to work in the shadows, whereas I prefer to be in the light." Clark continued, "He does not have any superpowers, but it is his determination that inspires me. He lets nothing stop him from fulfilling his goal of helping protect his city, and even surrounded with insurmountable odds, he always comes through."

"That is high praise indeed." Hippolyta said thoughtfully.

"Yes, but the praise is well deserved."

At this, the conversation died down for a little while, until Clark spoke up, "What makes up your culture?"

Instead of the Queen answering, Diana, who was sitting beside him asked, "What do you mean by that?"

"What I mean is what your beliefs are? What do you do for both work and recreation?"

Hippolyta answered, "We are worshippers of Zeus and Hera; there are also gods such as Apollo and Aphrodite whom we worship."

Donna, supported by redhead, "We also believe that men are the root causes of all evil."

Hippolyta gave her daughter a look, one which Clark could see basically means "watch it". In reply, Clark said, "Well in some ways that may be true, because there are a great amount of criminals that are men. However, there are many criminals that are women that are women. Also, there are many government and legal officials that are women, and yet the governments do have their imperfections and corruptions. By the same token though, there are many men and women that give of their time and energy to help people. Many of these people are viewed as heroes."

While Princess Donna looked like she was thinking about what he said, the redhead grew indignant. "Are you saying that the very principle that has kept the Amazons safe for thousands of years is false?"

"No not in the least! The only thing I mean is that not all men are bad, just as not all women are good. There will never be true peace until the main problems of human society are gotten rid of, that is war, greed and distrust. From what I can see, that is what your society has done, as you refer to yourselves as sisters."

The redhead frowned, and looked like she was going to continue when one of the people who had been referred to as General, interrupted, and asked him the question, "What exactly is it that you do?"

"Well, up until about five years ago, I protected the Earth, and in particular, a certain city called Metropolis."

"What made you stop?" Donna asked.

"Well, five years ago, astronomers thought they discovered my home planet of Krypton and-"

"What is an astronomer?" the General asked.

"Basically it is a person who studies the stars," Clark answered. He then continued, "After the astronomers thought that they had discovered Krypton, I kind of went into a dazed like condition. I still helped people, but my mind was a mess; it became so bad that I could not take it anymore, and decided to go and see for myself. So I left. It took me two and a half years to get to Krypton and two and a half back."

Diana then asked, "Did you find what you were looking for?"

"Yes, the astronomers were correct. That was where Krypton was, however, that place was a graveyard. I am the only Kryptonian that is left."

The General then said, "I am sorry."

"Thank you."

A few seconds past in silence. Clark then asked, "When can I leave here?"

The Queen answered, "First thing tomorrow morning."

"Thank you."

After about an hour, the feast was over, and the people dispersed. It was then that Clark was ambushed by the Queen. Ambushed may not be the right word, but it was the closest thing that Clark could liken the verbal exchange to in his mind.

The Queen was holding her sword in a casual manner, but Clark could easily suspect that if it was needed, the sword could do some serious damage – and he suspected that with many of the other things on this island, it was magically endowed.

In an eerily calm voice, Hippolyta began, "Now Kal-El, we are going to go over some 'ground rules' as the term is."

A little unnerved by the tone of her voice, Clark answered, with a slight stutter, "Y-yes your majesty?"

"First of all, you are not now a part of the Nation of Themyscira, simply because you are married to my daughter."

"Yes I understand your majesty."

"Also, I do not want you to think that you have free reign to come to Themyscira whenever you want to. You may never come here unless I approve of it. Is that clear?"

"Yes of course your majesty."

"One more thing; this is by far the most important rule for you to follow."

"Yes?"

"If you, in any way, hurt my daughter, I will, I swear in the name of Zeus, hunt you down, and you will know my fury."

Swallowing hard, Clark replied, "Yes your majesty, but I hope that you understand that I would never hurt your daughter; with or without the threat."

Raising her eyebrow, she replied, "We will see, will we not?"

And with that she left.

* * *

><p><em>The obsession character was a woman that posed as a girlfriend of Jimmy Olsen to get close to Superman. <em>

_Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed it! Please, if you have any critique, tell me about it, because I find that it helps a lot!_

_By the way, I hope I got the Amazonian fire down a little bit. It was kind of hard, considering how selfless Diana is. _

_By the way, sorry for the delay, life is busy. _


	5. Chapter 5

_I own nothing, just the idea. _

* * *

><p>CHAPTER 5 –<p>

There are some words that do not seem to belong together. On the top of that list are the terms Bruce Wayne and worried. However, that was exactly what Bruce was – worried. As part of his secret identity, Bruce did his very best to portray a carefree attitude, and he was very good at it, if he did say so himself. On the other hand, the other part of him, the Batman, did not really worry too much either. He may be good at paranoia, but that was what made him the greatest detective on the planet. The fact that Clark had disappeared from the world scene made him worried. It was not as though he should be very hard to find; even if he was dead. The amount of damage that he would do would be more than enough for anyone to spot him. However, no one could find where he was. According to Bruce's calculations, Clark would have landed somewhere in the in the Caribbean, directly in the area of the Bermuda Triangle. However, he could not find any evidence of Clark landing there. He had Flash run around the area a few times, and J'onn used his telepathic ability to search for Clark, but to no avail. They could not find anything. To make matters worse, besides Alfred and Dick, Clark was the only person that he viewed as family, and besides Alfred, Clark was the only person Bruce truly respected. So to sum up how the world's greatest detective feels at the moment would be a mix between anger, irritation, and aggravation. He feels anger at Luthor for putting his friend in this predicament, irritation at Clark for being able to disappear like this, and aggravation at himself for being unable to find Clark. So, it is needless to say that Bruce is in a bad mood, and tonight, at least he was able to take it out on some thugs. He probably went a little bit too hard on them, but ever since Clark disappeared, crime rates went up again; and Gotham was no different. He hoped that at least this last bit of thugs would send a message to the rest of the criminals in Gotham – the message being that the Batman is in a very bad mood. That should hopefully be enough for him to get a bit of a break.

While he was musing over this, he heard a whoosh.

"What is it Flash?"

"Flash; what in the heck did I do to get a name like that?" said a familiar voice.

Whirling around, Bruce saw the very man that he had been worrying about for the past two weeks.

"Where in the hell have you been?"

"You would not believe me, even if I told you."

"Try me."

"Maybe some other time," was the reply with a slight wince.

To this, Bruce frowned. Clark was hiding something, and he did not want to share what it was. This irritated him. "Well it is good to have you back, crime rates are up. The world needs its savior."

"Yeah, I know."

In reply, Bruce snapped, "Well, OF COURSE! What does the mighty Superman not know?"

Instead of gratifying Bruce, and getting angry, Clark took a deep breath and said, "Bruce, I have noticed that every time that I have been around you recently, it has seemed that you have been harboring resentment or anger. Now I would like to know if that anger is directed at me, or at someone else."

Immediately closing up, Bruce replied, "That would be none of your business. You should go, I am certain you can hear something that is going on somewhere in the world. You are needed there more than here."

However, Clark replied, "Bruce, do not be like this. I am your friend. We have backed each other up too much over the years for us not to be able to tell each other how we really feel."

"Well that's rich."

"Really; in which way?"

"The fact that you just dropped everything, and left the world five years ago; you left the world, and you did not even seem to care what would happen to the planet that adopted you. The world may say that you adopted this planet as your own, and maybe you did, but this planet had to adopt you first."

Somewhere in his head, Clark could hear a voice say, bingo, and all of his suspicions were confirmed. Bruce was angry at him for traveling to Krypton without telling him. "So that's why you are angry at me. You are angry that I did not consult you before going to Krypton."

"That's ridiculous."

"Oh really, look at me in the eye and say that."

Looking him in the square in the eye, Bruce said, "I am not angry at you for not consulting me before going to Krypton."

"Bruce, you're lying."

"Clark, I hate to break it to you, but you do not know me well enough to tell if I am lying, only Alfred knows me that well."

"That may be true," Clark returned. "However, Alfred does not have X-ray vision, or super hearing. When you said those words, your facial muscles tightened, and your heart rate sped up."

To this, Bruce just stared at him for a second, before saying, "Damn you and your abilities."

Giving Bruce a smirk, Clark replied, "Yeah I know, they can get annoying, but they are rather handy."

Getting angrier, Bruce growled, "Shut up."

"What's the matter Bruce, you can give out advice but you cannot take it?"

"GO TO HELL," yelled Bruce, as he kicked Clark in the face. Literally a second after he did this, he began to regret doing it. Bruce looked up at Clark, who said, "Feel better?"

"Not really."

"Sorry about that."

Gruffly, Bruce replied, "It was my fault that I kicked you, although you were taunting me."

"Honestly, I was trying to get you to whip out ones of those explosive batarangs you always carry around, and throw it at me. I figured that you would be able to get whatever it was out of your system without doing something really stupid – kind of like you just did."

"Now you tell me."

Deciding to end this argument before it got any worse, Clark said, "Listen Bruce; I am sorry I did not consult you before going to Krypton. My head was spinning, and I felt that I barely had time to tell my mother. I am sorry for leaving the world, and dumping all of the world's problems on you. In retrospect, I wish I had done so, because you may have helped me see things clearer. However, you can't change the past, and I am sorry for the mistakes that I made."

Seeing that Clark was sincere in his apology, Bruce said, "It is alright. I suppose that I could have been more understanding of your situation. If I had a chance to see my parents again, I would have done the exact same thing as you."

"You would take your spaceship, and fly through space for five years?" asked Clark, with his lips twitching.

Catching the humor, Bruce replied, "Shut it Kent, you know what I mean."

"Yeah, I suppose I do. Well, I have to go; I can hear a robbery taking place in New York, better make my return to the world…again."

"Right…oh and Kent."

"What?"

"About the changing the past thing, your wrong; you can do it in two ways. Either with that Legion of Superheroes ring of yours, or by reversing the Earth's rotation."

"Yeah ok, so I can change the past, you also know that something bad usually happens when I do that."

"Yes, I know. Oh well, better get to that robbery."

"Will do, and as a heads up, there is a person that is breaking into the Gotham Museum right now," said Clark, even though he knew that Bruce hated any kind of help in Gotham.

Looking at him for a second, Bruce said, "Thanks."

"Don't mention it."

With a sonic boom, Clark blurred into the sky.

Shaking his head, Bruce silently disappeared into the night, in the direction of the Gotham Museum.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, on Themyscira –<p>

Diana was anxious. The Senate had called an emergency session. It seemed that Kal-El crashing on the island had created more problems than they had originally thought. Today was the day that Themyscira was to open up an Embassy in Man's World, but with the entire disturbance that Kal-El had caused, it had been delayed. This action made many questions pop into Diana's mind. If her sisters were to react the way that they did with one man on their island, how would they react to opening up to a world that is filled with them? Also, if they were to open up to the outside world, what would happen when men came onto the island? How would her sisters deal with that?  
>She supposed that she always had had them; however, Kal-El's appearance had only made things worse. She also realized that many of her sisters, herself included, were not ready to accept men. Though neither she nor her sister Donna had ever been violated in the way that her mother and sisters had been, they had heard of the terrible things that they had done, and it only cemented her distrust of them, and it had made Donna go from distrusting men to hating them.<p>

Then again, until Kal-El, she had never seen a man, and neither had Donna. At seeing the way Kal-El acted, she began to wonder if men had possibly changed. Could it have been that all the years of seclusion from the world had become somewhat detrimental to the Amazonian race, making them unable to see that the world and the people in it could and had changed? Even though it may have kept them safe, could it be that her sisters and she were unable to see that change had happened in the world? Donna did not think so. When Diana asked her, Donna merely laughed, and replied that a leopard could never change its spots, and in the same way, men could never change. Diana did not know the answer. Up until recently, she totally believed in the teachings that all men were evil and could not be trusted. However, at seeing the way Kal-El acted, she became very confused. After the marriage ceremony, by the decree of Zeus, Lord Hermes told them all that she and Kal-El were to stay in the same bed chambers. Though she herself was disgusted at the thought, it seemed that Kal-El was terrified and seemed to be dumbstruck. After Hermes left, he asked if there was any way that he could get out of sleeping in the same room as me; which was most pleasing to her, for she did not want to be anywhere near this man. However, there was not, and they had to go into the same bed chambers. Though the marriage was one of the worst experiences in her life, she was surprised when he asked if they could talk before going to sleep.

* * *

><p><em>The previous day – <em>

"Princess Diana, could we talk for a minute?"

"What do you have to say, man?" was her snarky reply.

"Listen, I know that this is not pleasing to you; I am not too happy about it myself, however, I suppose that we are married now and so the bed…"

"Hera! I am not going to do the act of the beast with two backs!" yelled a horrified Diana.

To this, Kal-El gave her a look of complete confusion, "What? What the heck are you talking…?" Suddenly realization crossed his face, "Oh! …that was not what I was talking about Diana! All I was suggesting was that you take the bed, while I sleep on the floor!"

Suddenly feeling a little foolish, Diana said, "Oh, well in that case yes, and by the way, the name is Princess Diana."

"Sorry, Princess. I just hope you do not take me for that kind of a person. I try to be a moral and upright kind of guy."

"So you think that you have some decency about you?"

"Well, I try; but I do owe a lot of it to my adoptive parents. My parents are hard workers and they never complain. They taught me right from wrong, and they have shown me how to be respectful of others through the examples that they have set in their day to day lives. I do not dare think about what my life would be like without them."

Diana looked at him with a quizzical brow, and said, "You speak highly of them."

"There is no amount of praise that I could bestow upon them that would not be deserved. They took in an alien baby, who could lift a mountain by the time he was ten years old, but instead of being intimidated by those abilities and giving me to the government to be tested, and possibly killed, they taught me how to control those abilities, and taught me how to use them to benefit the world."

Thinking about his past, Kal-El seemed to go into a daze. The next thing she knew, he started to chuckle.

"What is so funny, Kal-El?"

"I just pictured my mother's face when I tell her that I am now an old married man." Suddenly, he made a strange face, and said, "I am so dead, she is going to kill me."

"Who?" Diana asked.

"My mother," was his reply.

Looking at him strangely, she asked, "how is it that you, who can fall from the skies with wounds that would almost certainly condemn one to death, yet miraculously heal and survive, be afraid of your mother, whom, by your account, only has adopted you, and is only a regular human? I am afraid that it does not make any sense."

"Well, that was only a figure of speech your majesty. You see, what I mean is, she is going to go into shock, and then likely going to get angry at me; or something to that effect."

"Oh."

This was when the conversation died down, and an awkward silence began. Breaking the silence, Diana said, "Well, good night Kal-El."

"Good night, Princess."

"The name is Diana."

"Very well, good night, Diana

* * *

><p><em>The present – <em>

She had to admit, she was rather surprised by the way Kal-El presented himself. He was polite, and it seemed that he had loyalty and respect for people – at least for his parents. Maybe men had changed – though it would be like that leopard and the spots.

While she was thinking about this, she heard her sister calling her. Walking over to where she heard her sister's voice, she saw Donna, her mother, the General, and a few others of her sisters talking.

Her mother began, "Diana, as you know, the Senate was called in an emergency meeting. You also already know the subject matter, so there is no need to go into that. The result of this is that you are going into the world, however, Themyscira will not be opening up to the world at this time."

Though Diana felt the excitement at the prospect of her being able to go out into the world, she was bitterly disappointed about not being able to set up an embassy.

Hippolyta continued, "You will travel around the world incognito, and you will observe their customs, watch them, and make regular reports. By the end of the year, we will decide whether we are going to open up to the world or not. Is this understood?"

"Yes my Queen."

"Good, prepare, for you leave in two days."

"Yes mother."

In a lower voice, Hippolyta then said, "Please be careful daughter. I do not want you to get hurt." It was then Diana noticed that her mother's eyes were watering. She also began to feel her own eyes burn a bit.

"Yes mother, I will be very careful."

After this discussion, both mother and daughter gave each other a hug.

* * *

><p><em>Ok sorry about the terrible update…I know it was very boring…but it kind of had to be…hearts to hearts usually are. <em>

_Also, there have been many people that say I should use the Martian Manhunter more, because he is basically as strong as Superman. Now, I am totally going to be using J'onn more, but for his powers, I am going to tone him down a bit. The reason is that for the amount of powers that he has, he is way too powerful. So to make this a little more interesting, I am giving him a power downgrade. He is still going to be one of the most powerful people in the world, but he is weaker than Superman and Wonder Woman. Also, his superhuman durability I am lowering to about Wonder Woman's level. I just feel that if he has all of these powers, he should be a lot weaker, because it just does not seem fair to the character. _

_I hope that I am not offending anyone by lowering his power levels, but I think that it has to be done. I also am going to try to use him more than the Justice League and Justice League Unlimited did. They totally messed up there. _

_Anyway, Rate and Review! _


	6. Chapter 6

_As usual, I own nothing, just the idea. _

CHAPTER 6 –

* * *

><p>ONE YEAR LATER –<p>

It was Friday, it was just after lunch and Clark was just leaving his desk. He had just finished writing his story on a recent save that Superman performed; even though it had been almost eight months since his return to the Daily Planet as Clark Kent, he still wished the circumstances of him getting his old job back were better. He had had asked Perry for his old job a few days after his return from Themyscira, however, there was nothing for him. Then about 2 months later, former colleague of his, Norm Parker died of a bad type of cancer, and because of this, it left a spot open for him in the bullpen. He really felt bad about this because he was a Superman, he should be able to find a cure for cancer, but as of yet, his experiments had all failed.

While he was thinking about all of this, he heard a familiar voice say, "Wow Smallville, nice article."

Turning to Lois, he replied, "I am glad that you liked it Lois. I hope that it meets your standards."

Lois then said, "Well as hard as it is to match them, with this article, for once, you made it."

"Gee thanks," he said sarcastically.

"Don't mention it," was her reply. "So have any big plans for tonight, Smallville? Go home, knit a scarf? Watch paint dry?"

In reply, Clark said, "Nothing quite that exciting Lois." It was then he noticed that he was being a little too sarcastic.

Lois obviously was surprised with his remark, and chuckling she said, "Wow, two sarcastic comments in one day, Clark what's wrong with you?"

Smiling, Clark replied, "Nothing Lois, I guess I am just in a good mood today; I am leaving early, and I am going to Smallville to see my mother."

"Oh, then you must say hi from both Richard and me."

"Will do," said Clark as he was started to leave.

"Hey CK, Lois," an excited Jimmy Olsen called out.

"Yes, Jimmy, what is it?" Clark asked.

"Did you hear? There is going to be an ambassador from a country that no one has heard of before coming to the UN today at one o' clock, and apparently, she is a looker."

"She?" asked Lois.

"Yep, definitely a she," Jimmy affirmed.

"Interesting," replied an already disinterested Lois.

Clark, on the other hand, was very interested, and asked, "Does this ambassador have a name?"

"I believe it is something like Diana, and I think that this ambassador is a princess."

Diana? Country no one has ever heard of? A princess? A looker? It sounded a little too familiar to Clark, so he asked, "Jimmy, do you know the name of the country that she is representing?"

"I dunno CK. It sounded kind of Greek…I think that it was Themys-something; I forget the pronunciation."

"Would that be Themyscira?"

Slightly surprised, Jimmy said, "Yeah, I think that was it. How did you know; did you hear about it too?"

"Ah, no, it was…er…a lucky guess," replied Clark, who was silently wishing that he had heard of this before, so it was not such a big surprise. He tried to remember anything that was said to him on Themyscira, and from what he could remember, there was nothing said, or hinted at this. They probably did not trust him enough to tell him about it, not that he blamed them. He was a total stranger, who had defied all their laws, and ended up marrying the heir to their nation's throne.

He heard something that snapped him out of his musings, and he saw Lois waving her hands in front of his face, and shouting, "Hey Smallville! Earth to Smallville!"

"Uh, yes Lois?" Clark feebly asked.

"You're going to be late; you had better get going to see your mother."

"Wha….oh, thanks Lois, have a good day. Bye everyone," said a still dazed Clark; and, after stumbling over his feet once, he made it to the elevator.

After Clark left, Lois turned to Jimmy and said, "Did you notice that after you told him about this new ambassador, he turned fish belly white?"

"Uh…not really, but then I really was not looking," replied Jimmy, while he was cleaning his camera lens.

Shaking her head, she should have known not to ask Jimmy about something like this. Men never notice anything; though Clark was sometimes the exception to the rule. Sometimes.

Jimmy suddenly asked, "By the way, Lois, do you know who has the inside track on this new ambassador?"

"Who?"

"The WGBS TV station's newest reporter."

"WHAT? CAT GRANT GOT A SCOOP LIKE THAT!" shouted Lois.

All of a sudden, Jimmy was regretting bringing this up, and said in a low voice, "But Lois…not even a minute ago you did not even seem interested in this story; why are you so angry now?"

Giving him a look that was as black as thunder, Lois exploded saying, "WELL DUH! CAT GRANT GOT THE STORY! Even Clark would get why I am so angry!"

"I – I – I'm sorry Lois, I did not think you cared that much."

* * *

><p>Even though he was very stressed, Clark could not help but chuckle. He could hear Lois' explosion, and was glad he made it out of there alive; although Jimmy did make a mistake in telling Lois about Cat. Even though he did not fully understand it, the rivalry between Lois and Cat Grant was long and old. He also knew that it did not help matters that sometimes Cat would go to try new jobs, but would often return to the Daily Planet, and get her old job back. That really irritated Lois, and he believed Cat knew it. It would explain why she would always come back and tell Lois all about the job she had recently given up to return to the Planet.<p>

The reason why he was stressed was that Themyscira was coming out into the world, and Diana was its ambassador. Even though she would probably not embarrass him by doing something like announcing their marriage to the world, her arrival would create a situation that he wished to avoid – telling his mother. When he had first come back from Themyscira, he tried to tell her, but he could never find the words, aside from saying, "Hey Ma, guess what? When I disappeared, I ended up falling on an island full of warrior women, and ended up getting married to the Princess of this island, through the wish of a Greek God." Yeah, that would be the way to go – if he wanted her to die of shock or seriously consider putting him in a padded room.

About a minute later, he ducked into an alley, and then blurred over to Smallville. He was in the kitchen of his mother's home in literally a blink of an eye. There he saw his mother pulling an apple pie out of the oven. Before she could turn around, he blurred around the farm, doing all the chores that were needing to be done, and finally blurring into his seat. He waited there for about 10 seconds, and her back was still turned to him, but just as he was about to clear his throat, his mother said, "Clark Kent, I raised you better than this. You should say hello to your mother first, and then go around and do 101 things around this farm that you should not really do as I do have help from Ben Hubbard and his farm hands; not the other way around."

Smiling, Clark said, "Hi mom, and how did you know that I was here? I know for a fact that you could not hear my footsteps, as I was flying."

"Well, I looked out the window, and noticed that the barn needed to have its door fixed, and a second later, I looked up again, and it was fixed. After seeing that, it was pretty easy to know you were around; that and the huge gusts of wind that blows up when you run or fly into the house."

Getting up, Clark said, "I see," and after kissing his mother on the cheek, asked, "What's for dinner?"

"Lots and lots of food, because I highly doubt that you are eating enough in that city of yours; I swear, every time that I see you, you look skinnier."

Rolling his eyes, Clark said, "Thaaanks Ma."

"You are most welcome."

Still smiling, Clark asked, "Is there anything that I can help you with?"

"Nope, it is all done; why don't we watch some TV together?"

"Alright, sounds good," replied Clark.

Sitting on the couch, with his mother, Clark grabbed the remote and turned on the TV, and suddenly, his worst fears were met; on the TV, was Princess Diana of Themyscira. Diana had obviously just finished her speech to the world, introducing herself and Themyscira to the world, and now, various reporters from all over the world were asking her questions about what she was going to do. Clark also recognized the next reporter that was going to interview her – one Catherine Grant.

Quickly, Clark said, "Well, uh…why don't I just change the channel?"

"No Clark, I find this interesting," his mother said.

"But…"

"No Clark, I want to see this…you know, you should be interested in this. I mean look at her, she is beautiful. I know Kryptonian men have better control than most other people, but Clark, you are still a guy."

"Ok Ma, definitely not comfortable with the way this conversation is going."

"Yes Honey, now let's watch."

"But Mom…" was as far as Clark got. His mother gave him the look. Never mess with her when she has that look on her face. All he could do is watch the interview, and hope that it all turned out for the best.

* * *

><p><em>In front of the UN Assembly <em>

Cat Grant was almost finished her interview, with only one more question, she asked, "As a final question Princess, since you are offering the world to accept some of your culture, will you accept some of the world's culture?"

In reply, Diana said, "Yes, the Amazons will accept some new ideas and customs, if that is what you are asking."

"Interesting, now may I ask an example of one of these so called new ideas or customs?"

"Well, as I said to another reporter, I have been travelling around the world incognito, and I have noticed that a custom that many people around the world have is in regards to marriage; for the most part, it is a man and a woman who are joined together in this union. Though many of the other Amazons will not do this, they will do their best to tolerate men, and accept that many of them are good people. As for myself, I have partaken of this custom, and am married to a man."

* * *

><p><em>Smallville – <em>

At hearing her words, Clark could both hear and feel his heart rate speed up. He also felt himself beginning to sweat, and he was beginning to regret not telling his mother what really happened when he disappeared after getting rid of the island.

* * *

><p><em>In front of the UN Assembly – <em>

Cat Grant blinked and then said, "Well Princess Diana, I think millions of men around the world are shedding tears right at this moment, but there is one more question that the entire world now wants to know; who is the lucky guy?"

* * *

><p><em>Smallville – <em>

Clark was really sweating now – he wished that he could do anything to stop what was about to happen, but he did not know what to do.

* * *

><p><em>In front of the UN Assembly – <em>

"I am afraid that I do not understand the term 'lucky guy', though, if you are referring to the man I am married to, his name is Kal-El. However, I think that he is better known to the world as Superman."

At hearing her words, Cat's jaw dropped, "Well, not only is there millions of men crying, now there are millions of women crying," she muttered.

* * *

><p><em>Smallville – <em>

"Er…Mom, I can explain…" was as far as Clark got before his mother said, "Clark, this is a joke right? Tell me that she is wrong, or that she is confused?"

"Well…I…ah…" a flustered Clark stuttered, before being interrupted again.

"Clark Kent, you had better tell me what is going on, or by God, I will dig up some kryptonite, and give you a beating that you will never forget," said is mother, angrier than he had ever seen her.

Taking a deep breath, "Well Mom…the Princess was not lying. We are married, but I can explain what happened."

"You had better start, and tell me everything! Don't forget that I know when you are lying."

Clearing his throat, Clark started to explain, "Well, it began right after I lifted the kryptonite island that Lex Luthor created after stealing my crystals from the Fortress…"

* * *

><p><em>Well, there we go…for some reason this one was easier to write than the last chapter. I had a lot of fun writing the Lois vs. Cat thing; it is always interesting. I also took the death of Norm Parker thing, and changed the date. Thanks for all the reviews by the way, I read them all. Hope this last part that I wrote did not seem to be too tacky, I mean, even though she had been travelling around the world, Diana still would not understand all the complexities in the world, so her announcing to the world that she is married to its greatest hero is not as farfetched as it may seem (even though the fact that the story is about two people who can fly and probably destroy the entire planet in one punch). One thing that I would like to know is if it was good of me to make Clark and Diana's marriage open to the world? I mean, I could have made it a close call, in that she (Diana) was interrupted by terrorists, and she showed her powers off to the world, but I found it more fun to write about her being open about it, and making Clark get all flustered. Anyway, just thought that I would ask! <em>

_Before I forget, I hope I wrote Martha Kent and the Martha/Clark dynamic right. I mean she is pretty important in all the Superman legends, so I hope I kept her in character. Also, it looks like Donna is not the only person in this story that gets in trouble with her mother…lol...and we all know the look that Clark got. _

_See you all later, Rate and review please! =)_


	7. Chapter 7

_Sorry about the delay…life's crazy…ah well!_

_As usual, I own nothing, just the idea. _

* * *

><p>CHAPTER 7 –<p>

Clark felt like his world was spinning out of control. Diana had told the world that they were married – and of course he had not told his mother what had happened, so it was easy to imagine how she reacted. To make a long story short, it was not good. Clark grimaced in remembrance of a couple of the threats that she made to him; however, by the time he had finished, she was taking it pretty well.

As he was flying back to Metropolis, he heard a scream, and he could tell that it was from somewhere in London, England. So he blurred out, and literally in a blink of an eye, he saw that a little girl had slipped off a tall building; so acting quickly, Clark grabbed the girl, and slowly started flying up.

* * *

><p>Sally could not believe it! She was going to close the window, just like mommy told her to, when she slipped off the stool that she was standing on. She tried to catch the wall, but she could not grab it! What was going to happen? She remembered that on all the cartoons, everybody who falls off a cliff ends up splatting on the ground – it was then that she realized what was happening and screamed as loud as she could. However, the next thing she knew was that she felt two big arms hug her, and felt and heard a big rush of wind. A deep voice asked her, "Are you alright Miss?"<p>

Sally looked up, and saw her favorite hero, "SUPERMAN!" She half squealed, half yelled.

Smiling down at her, he asked, "Where do you live?"

Pointing up at the open window, she said, "Up there."

"Alright Miss, hold on," Superman said as he floated up to the window.

When they got to the level of the window, Sally saw that her mother was looking for her, so she yelled, "Hey mommy, look at me!"

Her mother, at seeing that she was in Superman's arms, immediately rushed to the window and though she already had an idea of what happened asked, "What happened?"

Superman opened his mouth to speak, when Sally said, "I slipped on the stool, and fell out the window, but before I could hit the ground, Superman saved me!" This made her mother's eyes pop open, and she turned fish belly white. Seeing this, Superman said, "Don't worry Ma'am, she's ok." When he placed her back in the apartment, mommy hugged her, and for some reason she was crying.

"T – T – Thank you Superman," was all her mommy could say.

Suddenly, Sally remembered her manners and said, "Oh yeah, thank you Mr. Superman!"

Smiling again, Superman said, "It's not a problem; it's why I am here." Superman then turned around and was about to fly away when Sally remembered something that she had seen on the news earlier.

"Hey Mr. Superman!" she yelled.

"Yes, Miss?"

"Is it true that you are married to that Princess?"

* * *

><p>Clark just stopped and stared; he knew that he should have been expecting this, but he was still surprised when this little girl asked him that.<p>

"um…yes, I guess I am," said Clark.

"Really? She is so pretty! You two almost match, your both so pretty, tall, and strong!"

Having recovered enough from this Clark was able to break a smile, and said, "I am glad you approve. Have a good night!"

After saving the little girl in London, Clark was flying back to Metropolis. Though he was not really searching, he heard a familiar heartbeat that was much closer than it should have been…

* * *

><p>Bruce Wayne was an amazing secret keeper; he also prided himself with being able to find out pretty much any secret from anyone. It was how he became the World's Greatest Detective. However, he was shocked to discover that one of his closest allies had kept a secret from him, and he had been none the wiser. He knew that Clark was hiding something ever since he disappeared after the Luthor fiasco, though he never would have thought that it would be a secret of this magnitude. The quite, seemingly ordinary farmboy from Kansas not only got the most beautiful woman that probably ever walked the Earth, but he also was able to marry into royalty. Shaking his head and chuckling, "And people think that I'm the playboy."<p>

However, there was one piece to the puzzle that did not fit. If he knew Clark at all, he would never have wanted his wife to blurt to the world that they were married, so something was not quite right. That was why he was in Metropolis; he figured that when Clark could, he would hear his heartbeat, and zero in on it. He did not have to wait too long.

* * *

><p>"Hey Bruce, what're you doing here? Metropolis isn't your usual stomping ground," said Clark, as he flew up to the Daily Planet globe.<p>

"Clark, I must say, you are every straight guy's idol right now," Bruce said with a slight twitch to his lips.

"How did I know you wanted to talk about that?"

"Come on Clark, how could I not? She's the most beautiful woman alive, and probably one of the most beautiful ever to live."

"True…"

"However, my question is, how on earth did you nail her?"

"Gee Bruce; I am amazed in your faith in me."

"Don't get me wrong Clark; you have both the looks and the powers to get noticed by a woman like her; however, it is not your personality to get the girl by showing off."

"To tell you the truth, I was kind of forced into it."

"…I'm sorry, what?"

"You heard me; I was forced into marrying the Princess."

To this, Bruce started to laugh.

Slightly annoyed, Clark said, "Yes, yes, I know, I am the most powerful person on the planet, and yet I can be pushed around by virtually any woman that comes my way."

"You got that right. So what happened?"

"Well…"

* * *

><p>After explaining everything that happened, Bruce still laughed at him, however, the Batman paranoia kicked in. "I just hope we do not have a potential problem our hands," he said simply.<p>

"Why would you say that?"

"If she is from a race of women that hate men, then what's to say that they won't attempt a mass genocide?"

"They did not kill me while I was there."

"Yes, but then, their gods told them that their princess was to marry you, and that if any harm befell you, they would be punished."

"You may be right, but the Amazons that I was with did not fully have a hatred of men; it was more of distrust than anything else."

"That may be true, but what happens if some of the Amazons that you did not have dealings with hate men?"

"Bruce, take it easy. I highly doubt that it will ever come to that."

"I just hope that you are right; I don't want to see my words become prophetic."

"Me neither."

They both looked off into the distance for a little while, until Clark said, "Well I got to go. I think I had better call on Diana."

"By the way, did you arrange for her to announce your marriage to the world?"

"No; heck, I didn't even know she was _IN_ the world until today at lunch time."

"Ouch, how did Martha take it?"

"Well, after a few threats of digging up some kryptonite, and then beating me with it, she actually took it pretty well."

"Not fun, receiving threats from your mother."

"I know."

"Anyway Clark, we still have to talk about that team of heroes. It is a lot easier to save the planet as a team."

"I know."

"Who do you think will join? I am pretty sure that J'onn and Jordan would, and maybe West, but…"

"I think that your right, and you already know the Flash's name do you?"

"Not as fast as you learned it, but yes."

"What about Hawkgirl?"

"She may; she likes getting into fights."

"I bet."

"Anyway, until next time," and with that, Batman disappeared into the night.

Looking out to the horizon, Clark decided that it was time to go and see Diana.

* * *

><p><em>And there we go. Sorry about how long it took to update…however such is life. Now before some people call me out on the fact that Clark did not visit Diana right away or that he did not suggest her for that crazy team that we all know and love, allow me to elaborate. First of all, Clark really does not know Diana that well, so he is feeling that it would be a little awkward, and like all of us, he is trying to put it off as long as he could…and he actually had good reason to. Second off, he doesn't really know that Diana has any powers, so that would explain why he did not suggest her to join the team. <em>

_I have a couple ideas for the next chapter, but it may be a little while in coming. Hope you can all bear with me. _

_By the way, thanks for the reviews! Keep them coming! _


	8. Chapter 8

_Hey all! Looks like I found the time after all…_

_As usual, I own nothing…no matter how much I may wish to…son of a motherless goat! (Just a joke from a certain movie; no offense anyone) _

* * *

><p>CHAPTER 8 –<p>

For the first time since she had left Themyscira, Diana wished that she had not left the island. It was not that she did not enjoy Man's World; in fact it was quite the opposite. No it was due to the reporters of this world that she was feeling so down. Ever since she had mentioned to that one pushy blond that she was married to Superman, there was no other topic that those reporters seemed interested in. As much as she tried to divert the conversation back to her mission in the world, someone would ask how long she had known Superman, or if he was going to help her in anyway. Thanks to her very good hearing, she was even able to hear a reporter mumble to another reporter that Superman's departure from the world was due to his meeting her on Themyscira, and marrying her. She also heard that other reporter say that they probably had a huge romance, and it was due to her that Superman had left the world for so many years. The whole searching for Krypton thing was just an elaborate story to cover for him. Although she did not know Kal-El much at all, and did not feel much for him at all, she was disgusted at what the reporters were saying. "How dare they say such things? Kal has saved the world countless times, and he protects it with his life, it is so disrespectful." It was then that she caught herself. Kal? Where did that come from? And why was she defending him? Even though she did not say anything about it at the press conference, why was she defending him now?

She was so pressed in her thoughts that she did not even sense a new presence that appeared at her balcony…

* * *

><p>Clark had blurred to Washington. Using his X-ray vision and his super hearing, he was easily able to find where Diana was living; while he was doing this, however, it struck him that, he should have known the minute that Diana had come into the world. After all, he could hear a cell divide on the other side of the planet, but even so, she had still surprised him. Who knows? If he had heard her before she gave her UN speech, maybe he would have been able to stop her from announcing to the world their marriage.<p>

Floating down towards her balcony, he saw that Diana was deep in thought, and for had not sensed his presence. Clearing his throat, he said, "Hey Diana."

* * *

><p>"Hey Diana," was all that he said, and yet, it startled her. How did she not hear him? She was a warrior of Themyscira, trained to hear a leave fall to the ground, and yet he still startled her. Angry, but mostly at herself, she spun around, and said, "What are you doing here?"<p>

Totally surprised about her hostility, Clark decided to play it safe, "I only came to see how you were doing after your first dealings with reporters."

"I am fine."

"I am glad, because, take it from me, they can be bloodthirsty when they are after a good story."

To this Diana just looked away. Sensing that something else was wrong, and it was not him startling her, Clark asked, "Are you sure your okay?"

* * *

><p>After hearing the worlds "Are you sure your okay" Diana looked back at him with surprise. He actually looked like he was concerned with her welfare. However, as a warrior and diplomat, she did not show her surprise at him, and merely said, "I said that I was fine, and I meant it."<p>

* * *

><p>After hearing her reply, Kal-El seemed to be satisfied. After a bit of a silence, he asked her, "Diana, why did you tell the world that we are married?"<p>

Clark knew that this question of his could land him into a great deal of trouble if he were not to word it right. He did not know Diana well, but he could see from the little that he did know of her that she was a good person, and would not go to hurt him. He figured that it would have been her naivety of the world that would prompt her to say it, but he was not sure.

* * *

><p>At hearing his question, Diana grew irritated; it had nothing to do to Kal, however, it was more to do with her being reminded of those bloodthirsty reporters that seemed to have nothing better to do than ask her about her relationship with Kal. "Hera, she thought, why do I keep calling him Kal?"<p>

* * *

><p>It had seemed like an hour since Clark had asked the question, though it was probably closer to thirty seconds. At seeing the change in Diana's face to one of anger or irritation, he mentally prepared himself for a verbal fight. However, Diana surprised him when she said in a simple and calm voice, "At the time, I could not see anything wrong with it."<p>

"I thought so."

Looking at him, she asked, "What do you mean?"

Treading carefully, to make sure that he did not spark her temper, he said, "Well, I will admit that I do not know much about you Diana, however, from the little that I do know, you do not seem like a person that would try to hurt another living being."

* * *

><p>To this, Diana got mixed emotions; he had complimented her, and yet insulted her at the same time. Deciding to address the insult, she asked him, "Did it hurt you for me to tell the world that we were married?"<p>

* * *

><p>"She's looking at me funny..." thought Clark. In reply to Diana, he said, "Well, not physically, however, there was a bit of mental anguish that came through," thinking of some of the threats that his mother made.<p>

It was too late for Clark to realize that he had made a mistake. Though he had been preparing himself for a verbal attack, he had not taken into consideration this type of attack.

*WHAM*

Clark felt pain in his left jaw, and he felt himself flying out of the window. When he finally stopped flying, he saw that he was at least mile away from Diana's balcony.

"Okay…that hurt?" thought Clark. The only person in the universe that he knew who could do something like that to him of all people was Darkseid or J'onn. Even Mongol could try to do it if he was able to catch Clark off guard. However, he never thought that Diana was capable of such strength. Suddenly, he felt a pain in his chin, followed by a quick succession of punches and kicks that sent him even farther into the sky.

After a particularly strong kick, Clark fell to the ground. Though he was able to catch himself before he did any real damage, he did manage to leave a 10 foot crater in the ground; finally having a second to collect himself, he saw Diana coming in fast. Timing it perfectly, he blurred out as she tried to punch him again. Though she avoided crashing into a tree, she left her left side open, and he zoomed over, grabbed her, and blasted off into the sky. After flying about a mile into the sky, he released her, and now said in an angry manner, "Ok, what was all that for!"

To this she just growled, and tried to fly away. Clark could easily see that she was a more graceful flier than he was, however, he could also see that he could fly much faster, so he used this to his advantage.

* * *

><p>Diana had enough of this man's insolent behavior. She herself was not pleased about marring him, but to tell her that it was causing him pain angered her. Though she was not a vain person, she did find it insulting, as anyone would. When he suddenly appeared in front of her, she was tempted to punch him again, however, the Wisdom of Athena won out, and she decided to talk to him – or maybe she would yell at him, after all, yelling could be considered talking.<p>

In a calmer voice, Kal-El asked her, "Diana, what was all that for? You could have put innocent people in danger."

"I made sure to send you far away from the city before I hit you to the ground," Diana growled.

"It doesn't matter Diana, we have to be the example, and we should encourage people to settle their disagreements through words, not actions."

Frowning, Diana said, "Alright, fine! I am sorry that I am so repulsive to you that you find it hard to stomach the sight or thought of me!"

To this, Kal-El got a strange look on his face, "What?" was all that he said.

Now that she was this mad, Diana continued, "I am sorry that cause you to feel mental anguish! Hera! Why am I even saying sorry? You are just like all the men my sisters warned me about, cruel, arrogant and heartless!"

"Diana"

"I thought that there may have been a shred of decency in you, but…" she found that her mouth was covered by Kal-El's hand.

"Diana, please relax, just for a second; you have misunderstood me. When I said that I had mental anguish, I was referring to the threats that my mother made today."

Taking her by surprise, Diana looked at him strangely, and said "What do you mean?"

"Well…the thing is that, I had not told my mother that we were married, and then having it announced on worldwide television…well, let's just say that it was a bit of a shock."

"So she threatened you? So what? From what I have seen from Themyscira, the media, and the ache that I have in my fists from punching you, you are pretty well invulnerable."

"Well that is true, but…mothers have a way of putting fear into their children…I am sure that when you were growing up, you used to be scared of your mother when she was angry."

"To a point I suppose."

"You see, ever since I got back from Krypton, my mom has been a little more protective of me than usual. And when you announced the marriage…well…she was really worried, and thought that I was in trouble. So to get me to talk, she made a few threats."

"I see. Did she mean them?"

"Not in the least…but they did seem to be a little too graphic for a mother to be talking about. I mean, I would expect it from a person like Metallo or even Luthor…but my mother…"

Diana, smiled inwardly, however, she was now feeling a little bit ashamed, so she said, "I am sorry for the way I attacked you Kal-El."

"Apology accepted; however, there is something else we have to discuss."

"And what is that?"

"Well, you have superpowers."

"True, what of it?"

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"Did you need to know? Was it any of your business?"

Smiling Clark said, "Not really, though it would have been nice to know, so I could have prepared for you kicking my butt."

Diana smiled slightly and looked away, and said, "There must be a reason for you to want to talk about my powers. What is it?"

"Tell me, have you seen or read about the Batman?"

"I have heard of him. Was he that person you were talking to my mother about when you were on Themyscira?"

"Yes, that was him. Anyway, he and I were thinking about making a team of heroes, a League if you will, to protect the Earth. We are looking for possible members, and after feeling the punishment you were giving me, I think that you would be a great asset to the team. Would you like to join?"

"I don't know…I will have to think about it."

"Okay, well, have a good night Diana."

"Yes, ummmm, I believe the phrase is, 'see you around' Kal."

Smirking, Clark said, "I am always around." Just before flying away, he said, "You know, I like that."

"Like what?" asked Diana.

"I like you calling me Kal, you should say it more." After that, Clark flew away.

* * *

><p><em>Well, there is my next update…I know it is a little on the longer side, but hey! At least I gave some action…I originally did not have Diana beating Clark up like this, but when I started writing it, I liked it, and could not help myself. =)<em>

_Originally, I was undecided about how I was going to get Diana to reveal her powers, and it was either stopping a robbery, OR help Clark put out a huge fire in a hospital. Though I am glad about how things turned out…_

_By the way, Kal'garion…the nickname that you gave me (__**KD**__) is Awesome! Really like it, thanks! _

_Also, Kairan1979, I was tempted to use that, but…yeah…I was thinking to use it for future chapters, thanks though! _

_Hellacre13…I think I made things a little bit more than awkward, lol, I think I made it quite…painful…_

_Anyway…hope you all like it. See you later! _

_PS thanks for all the reviews everyone! They are really encouraging! _

_Double PS, can anyone guess the movie I was talking about in the note at the top of the chapter? Lol_

_Ok, Triple PS…Man I have got to stop doing that…anyway, I have this nagging doubt that I kinda took both Clark and Diana out of character…I hope I didn't, but if I did, PLEASE let me know! _


	9. Chapter 9

_Hey all! _

_Anyway…usual disclaimer, I don't own the characters…or anything else...=P_

* * *

><p>CHAPTER 9<p>

_Three Months Later, in Space – _

Diana was impressed; the space station was quite large indeed. According to Kal, this was to be the headquarters of the Justice League. It was an interesting name, she had to admit; Kal had come up with it, and though it brought an eye roll from the Flash, who said that it was 'lame' and Batman gave both Kal and the Flash a glare. However, the team voted, and the name was selected.

"So what do you think, Princess Diana?" asked a familiar voice.

Diana turned around and saw the Martian Manhunter float into the room. Smiling she said, "I am impressed that such a large space station was able to be built in such a short period of time. It was my understanding that such things to a great deal of time."

Returning the smile, J'onn replied, "Generally that is true; however, most times the people do not have the likes of Superman or I involved in the construction."

"Oh, why wasn't I asked? I could have helped…"

Smiling, J'onn said, "We thought about that, however, you are still fairly new to this world, and we figured that you were very busy with being Wonder Woman as well as being an Ambassador to your country."

"Well, I suppose that this is true."

After that they both looked out at the Earth from the viewports. "It is very beautiful isn't it J'onn?"

"Yes."

"What was Mars like?" Diana asked, changing the topic.

"Mars is very different from Earth; however, it has an equal amount of beauty in it, just in different ways."

"I find that is how a great many things in life are. They may be different, but if you look closely enough, you will find some sort of beauty within."

Looking at her out of the corner of his eye, J'onn replied, "Yes, in my life I have seen proof of this."

After this, the conversation died, as both parties were admiring the blue orb that was Earth. The next thing they heard was the door opening; Hawkgirl and Green Lantern walked into the room.

"Hey guys, what's up?" asked Hal.

"We are just admiring the Earth," replied J'onn with his usual monotone.

"Ah," said Hal, "this is changing the topic, but just a quick question for you Princess Diana."

Turning around, she replied, "Yes?"

"I was just wondering how long you have been in this world…I mean, you seem to have picked up a lot of information since coming to the world, almost too much for such a short period of time, so…like…how long have you been here?"

"Well, I did travel around the world incognito for a year before coming out to the public."

"Ok, that makes more sense."

Suddenly, they heard a whoosh. "Hey guys, do you have any idea where the food is in this place?"

Hawkgirl rolled her eyes and replied, "Is that all you think of Flash? Food?"

"Hey! Come on, I have to take in a lot of energy; do you think running around faster than the speed of sound is easy?"

"Superman seems more than capable," replied Hawkgirl.

"Yeah, but Supes also has the Sun to charge him, which means he is both inexhaustible and unbeatable," replied Flash.

"Well, I don't know about unbeatable," a new, but familiar voice rang out, "but it is nice to know that my teammates have faith in me." The team turned as both Batman and Superman entered the room.

In one of his rare moment of humor, Batman said, "I think I know a few ways of beating Superman…all involving Kryptonite." This earned him the stares of the majority of the team.

Chuckling, Superman said, "I never know which is scarier, Batman angry or Batman making a joke."

Even though what he said was rhetorical, Flash answered Superman immediately by saying perhaps a bit too loud, "Batman making a joke! Hands down; it's not even close!"

"Oh really?" asked Batman, giving the Flash his full Batman glare.

"…Ok…maybe it is close…"

"That's what I thought." Batman said gruffly as he walked to the other side of the room.

Following this, Hal said, "Well, I am going to get out of here, before Flash ends up getting hurt."

"Hey!" yelled Flash, as the door slid shut behind Lantern.

Laughing a little bit, Shayera went over to Diana, "By the way Princess, have you decided which reporter you are going to have interview you? From the sounds of it, you have thousands that are clamoring for an interview."

"Yes, that is true, but I have not decided; I have just been too busy to decide. However, there is one that has been very pushy…I believe her name is Lois Lane…"

"Isn't that the reporter who usually interviews you, Superman?" asked Hawkgirl.

Turning his head, he replied, "Yes, she usually interviews me; she is a good reporter Diana, you should try her."

"Maybe…" Diana replied.

"Hey, Supes, wasn't there another reporter that interviewed you? Calvin Kent, or Coulter Kent or something? I know the dude's last name is Kent…" said Flash.

"Yes, Clark Kent has interviewed me a couple of times."

"Would you recommend him Kal? Was he a good reporter?" asked Diana, noticing at the same time that J'onn had floated away with a smile on his face, and Batman had a slight twitch on his lips.

"…ummmm…Kent is ok, I guess…"

Slightly suspicious about his hesitation about this new topic of conversation, Diana made a decision. "I think I will get Mr. Kent to do the interview."

"Are you certain Diana? Ms. Lane will do a great job."

"I am Kal; I am sure Ms. Lane will, though I have made my decision. I thank you for your input, however."

"Uh…Anytime Diana," Superman said, suddenly feeling a little nervous.

* * *

><p><em>Metropolis – <em>

Lois Lane was not in a good mood; she hadn't been in one for over three months. First off, that…that…Woman who is both royalty and is better looking than any other woman on the planet shows up. Then she declares that she is married to Superman, and Superman does not say a thing. Oh, she had tried to get his attention, she had even tried jumping off a building, and screaming his name. Of course he had come, but before she could say a thing, he had placed her safely on the ground and was off again. Then that woman shows that she has super-powers, and starts fighting crime in a swimsuit, with her breasts practically hanging out everywhere! And now finally, it was the last straw; Lois had been, for months, trying to get an interview with this woman, and what does she find? Only that she has been scooped by Clark Kent! Clark Kent of all people! He didn't even have to work for the story; the Princess simply picked him! "Of all the nerve," fumed Lois.

Walking to Clark's desk, she growled, "How did you do it Smallville?"

Getting somewhat of a confused look on his face, he asked, "Do what Lois?"

"Get the interview with the Princess? How did you scoop me?"

"Uh…I didn't…I mean…"

"Look Clark, for the first time in your life, just give me a straight answer without going all farmboy on me! I was working to get this interview for a long time, and yet, you still beat me to it; what I want to know is HOW?"

"…the Princess wanted a guy to interview her?"

Staring at him suspiciously, Lois asked, "Oh really, and what do you mean by that?"

* * *

><p>Clark really felt like he was up against a corner; Lois was being her usual self, but he had not thought up an escape route from this conversation. Numerous possibilities flashed through his head, and all of them had Lois either calling him totally insane or guessing his secret identity. Thankfully, just as he was about to give up all hope, inspiration burst upon him.<p>

"Well Lois, maybe the Princess felt that since she has not had much experience with men, she may feel like she has something to learn from being interviewed by one. Maybe she feels that it would be a nice change of pace."

"Yeah, but why of all people would she choose YOU? What have you done to catch the Princess' attention?"

"Maybe she read one of my interviews with Superman?"

"Oh, please Smallville. It would be a lot better if a woman interviewed her, because a woman would ask her a lot more different questions than a man would," Lois said bluntly, before turning away.

Looking at his computer screen, Clark couldn't help but say, "So does that mean that you won't be interviewing Superman as much?"

Whirling around, Lois said, "Excuse me?"

"Well, just following your logic here, you say that it would be better for a woman to interview a woman, so would it not be better for a man to interview a man?"

"Well I…"

"Something to think about, eh Lois," Clark asked, with a twinkle in his eye. With that being said, he started to walk away. When he got to the elevator, he saw Lois there, standing with her mouth agape, and he could not decide whether it was due to her shock that he was able to turn the conversation around, or if she was just even more furious at him. Probably both, but the smart money was on the latter option. Oh well.

* * *

><p><em>THE NEXT DAY…<em>

Clark walked into the Themyscira's embassy; it was an impressive structure, and at its front, it said, "Themyscira House". Though Clark enjoyed looking around it, he had seen it all before, as he had come by a couple of times as Superman, however, this being the first time Clark Kent had ever seen it, he had to make sure that Clark was suitably impressed.

After walking in, he was directed to wait in the waiting room, until the Princess had finished a meeting that she was in. He did not have to wait long.

* * *

><p>Diana had been alerted to Mr. Kent's arrival by her receptionist; according to her, the man seemed to be a bit of a clutz and maybe even a stuttering farmboy. Even though Diana felt a little apprehension about the interview, she still hastily concluded her meeting, which was already very close to being resolved. After thanking the people who had come for their support, she opened the door, and showed them out. There she saw Clark Kent for the first time. Though she could not place it, she immediately thought that she had seen him before…somewhere.<p>

However, she remained professional, and warmly welcomed Mr. Kent into her office.

* * *

><p>Clark had been worried for a second there. It almost looked as though Diana could see right through his disguise; he came to the fast decision that the best thing for him to do was to play up is act of being the mild mannered, albeit clumsy, farmboy from Kansas.<p>

"H-h-hell-l-hello y-y-your high-highness," Clark stumbled, tripping over both his words and his feet. "M-may I j-j-just say what a-a-an honor it is to meet you?"

"Hello Mr. Kent, it is a pleasure to meet you as well," replied Diana, a little surprised about this poor man's nervousness. After a couple of seconds of awkward silence, Diana said, "Won't you step into my office?"

"O-o-oh yes, Miss, er I m-m-mean, you highness."

"Thank you Mr. Kent, now I believe that we have an interview to do?"

* * *

><p><em>Six Hours Later – <em>

It had been a long day; Diana felt tired. After she had had her last meeting of the day, and filled out the last of the paperwork, she went to her room; though she was tired, she decided to look at the newspaper that was lying on the coffee table. It was the Daily Planet, the newspaper Clark Kent worked for; she chuckled a little bit; poor Mr. Kent looked as though he was going to have a heart attack. He seemed incredibly nervous, but for some reason, she felt that it was a bit of an act; the questions that he asked were bold, even if they had not been asked in an assertive manner. It was not that the questions were bold in an inappropriate way, but they were ones that she had wished the reporters of Man's World had been asking her for a long time. In fact, she was very pleased in her decision to get Clark Kent to interview her, even with all the stumbling that he did, both with his feet and his mouth.

Remembering Mr. Kent was a little hard to do; he almost seemed to fade into the wood work. However, she put her mind to it, and eventually, she began to remember; he wore a suit that looked like it was at least two sizes too large on him. Why would he wear that? He would probably be a handsome man if he wore things that actually fit him. Even though he was hunched over, she could see that he had muscles underneath his suit; and he wore those spectacles, which reminded her of an owl's eyes. However, she then remembered his eyes; they were the most amazing blue she had ever seen before, even if they were mostly hidden from her view. It was almost unearthly how beautiful they were. They were almost like…

"Wait a second!"

* * *

><p>…<em>Cliff hanger? I dunno…close…maybe…lol.<em>

_Anyway, I hope you all like this update…I know it was kind of silly, but I must say how fun it is to write a nervous Clark Kent. _


	10. Chapter 10

_Here we go again…hope you all can bear with me. _

CHAPTER 10 –

Turning on her computer, Diana immediately looked up the most recent picture that she could find of a close up shot of Superman.

Within a few minutes of searching, she found the most recent picture of Kal's face was in the Daily Planet from the previous week. She looked at the picture, and then looked at Clark Kent's most recent byline picture; though he would fool the average person, Diana had the instincts of a hunter. How could she have missed it before? How was he able to hide it? Clark Kent was Superman, her husband through an arranged marriage.

He was very good at hiding who he was; perhaps a little too good. Diana also now realized that he had overplayed his mild-mannered ego. Maybe if he had only stuttered, and not stumbled all over the place and make a fool of himself, he may have gotten away with it.

Shaking her head and smiling slightly, Diana could not help allowing a small chuckle escape her lips. Kal would pay for this, and she already knew how she was going to get revenge on him.

* * *

><p><em>Meanwhile – <em>

Clark was on his way to check on Diana; so far it had been a quite night in the world, though there were a few rumblings that he had heard somewhere. However, he figured that there was nothing much to worry about, so he decided to call on Diana, and see how he had done on the interview.

He could see that her lights were still on in her apartment, so he landed on the balcony. Knocking on the balcony window, he saw Diana turn around, and walk over to him in a dignified manner.

"Hello Kal, what brings you over her?" she asked, with a nice smile.

"I just wanted to see how your interview went. Did Kent to an ok job?" he asked, returning the smile.

"Yes, he did a glamorous job. I was thinking of getting him to do another," was her reply.

* * *

><p>If Kal was surprised by her wanting Clark to interview her again, he did not show it.<p>

Kal next said, "I know Kent can be a little bit of a klutz from the times that he has interviewed me, was he that bad with you?"

Laughing a little bit, Diana answered, "Oh yes, he was very clumsy, but he was VERY cute, I must say."

Taken back slightly, Kal said, "Cute? Kent? Really; are you sure?"

"Oh yes, I found him to be a very cute and respectable man. I must admit it is a little bit strange to say those words, but that is how it was."

"Wow, you must have seen something in him," said Kal, turning a little bit red.

"In fact, I found him so very cute, I wished to, what do you call it? Kiss I believe? Yes, I wished to kiss Mr. Kent, though I was afraid that it would have been very unprofessional of me to do so." Diana grinned inwardly after she had said those words. From what she knew of Kal, he would be embarrassed to hear himself so fondly spoken about. From the shade of red that he had turned, Diana was glad to see that she was right.

"W-w-well, I-I-I must be going," stammered Kal.

At seeing this, Diana couldn't help but say, "Did I say something wrong Kal? I think the world would find it very shocking to see Superman stammering?"

"You said nothing wrong Diana; I was just a little surprised that Kent could have made such an impression."

"Oh, you don't know the half of it."

"Um, I'm sorry Diana, but I must go, I think I, er, that is I…I have…I have to be…not…not here."

And with that Superman blurred out into the sky.

At seeing him fly away, Diana could not help but start laughing; she had made Superman retreat without even throwing a punch. It was a good way to end this tiring day.

Unfortunately, as Diana would later find out, it was not the end of the day; the most tiring part of it was yet to come.

* * *

><p>Two hours after his embarrassing talk with Diana, Clark and the other leaguers received a distress call. When they all got to Watchtower, J'onn briefed them; it was the Supervolcano in Yellowstone, and it was in its beginning stages of erupting.<p>

"All here know the risks if this eruption takes place," said J'onn. "A great deal of the plant and animal life will be destroyed. And there will also many human lives lost if we do not act."

"So how are we going to stop it?" Flash asked.

To this J'onn simply said, "We aren't. Superman is."

"Then what are we going to do?" Flash asked again, a little bit confused.

Superman then said, "While I am done below the surface of the Earth, the rest of you are going to see to the evacuation."

"Why is it only you, Kal?" Diana asked intently. Why is it that only Kal was allowed to go below the surface, whereas she had to help with the evacuation? She may be able to help.

"Diana, your skin is very strong, but the temperatures that are going on down there will be too much even for you. Also, since we are dealing with lava, J'onn is pretty well unable to go down there, so that leaves only me."

"I see."

"Besides, you need as much manpower as can be used in the evacuation."

"By the way," Flash began, "where is GL? Shouldn't he be like…here?"

"He had to go to Oa for a little while," replied Hawkgirl. "However, he has been informed, and is coming as fast as he can."

"Man alive, Murphy's Law strikes again!" groaned Flash. "We could totally have used GL here."

"Well we will have to make due to with what we've got," Batman said.

Getting back on topic, J'onn asked, "So does everyone know their assignments?"

"I am to round up the people and rush as many people onto the evacuation route as possible?" Flash asked.

"That is correct; Wonder Woman and I will help by transporting as many people to the East coast of North America, while you, Hawkgirl and Batman will help as many people as we can," replied J'onn.

Looking at the Earth, Hawkgirl said, "This is going to be the biggest mission we have ever been a part of as a team, I hope everything goes according to plan."

Standing up, Superman said, "It is time," and started flying towards the teleporters. The other members followed suit, and soon they were all in the danger area. Superman immediately flew into the volcano, while the others got down to business; though no one had said it, they all knew that if the League did not evacuate as many people as possible, or if Superman could not stop or even stall the volcano from erupting, the effects upon the Earth would be horrendous.

* * *

><p><em>Two Hours Later – <em>

Things were worse below the surface than he thought; he reprimanded himself for not checking it out sooner, for, had he done so, this whole crisis may have been averted, and there may not have been any reason for the evacuation. Clark was trying his best to relieve the pressure, but he had to be very careful; one false move, and the entire volcano could explode. Due to this, it was a very slow and painstaking process; he had been down there for over two hours, and though it was still very bad, the good news was, from what he could hear, the evacuations were going well. Another piece of good news was that so far, he was being successful in stopping the eruption; if there was an eruption, however, it would not be just the lava that he would have to worry about. The pyroclastic flow would be his first and biggest worry; he had no idea of the size of a flow could that a volcano like this would give, but in all likelihood, it would be huge. If it did go off, he had no idea how he was going to stop it.

* * *

><p>Though he did not show it, Bruce was happy that the evacuations were being successful; however, he was worried about what would happen if the volcano exploded; he wasn't worried about the lava, but he was rather more worried about the pyroclastic flow, which was, in many ways, more damaging than even the lava. Able to move at 450 mph, and being over 1,000 degrees C, or the equivalent of over 1800 degrees F, in temperature, it could destroy anything that gets in its way. However, he could also remember that the speed of the flow could theoretically move faster than 450 miles per hour, because the speed of the flow is dependent on gravity. The steeper the slop that it goes down, the faster the flow would move; there was also the threat of a pyroclastic surge, which was even more dangerous than the flow, as it has a much higher gas to rock ratio, and therefore, are able to move faster, up to speeds of 650 miles per hour. It was indeed, very dangerous for anyone who happened to be around; except for Superman. Though he had a contingency plan for it, it would require Hal Jordan's ring, and chances were that if it did go off, Jordan would not make it in time. There was only one other way to stop the cloud, and it required Superman. Flash would be more than fast enough, but he both could not fly, and his body was not durable enough to last against the heat. J'onn may be able to fly, but he would only be able to curb some of the effects, because of his weaknesses, and the fact that he could not fly fast enough. Only Superman could do it. However, so far there was nothing happening in that regard, so hopefully, Clark was succeeding down below.<p>

* * *

><p>Though Diana was working hard at helping the people, she was feeling a little bit useless; Kal was down below the surface, and he was trying to stop the volcano, or at the very least stall it and lessen the effects of it. She wished that she could do something to help him, or at least to feel more useful. Instead she was transporting the people across the continent, and though she knew that it was the first priority, she still felt useless.<p>

While she was travelling around the world incognito, she had learned a little bit about volcanoes. What caught her interest in this subject was when she heard about the story of Pompeii and Mt. Vesuvius. Though she did not know all the details, she was worried the lava and some sort of cloud or flow, which were made up of various superheated gases and rock, that could come out of the volcano; considering that this was her first real experience with a volcano, she really did not know what to expect, which also contributed to her feelings of uselessness.

* * *

><p><em>Eight Hours later – <em>

So far, it seemed that Kal-El was doing a good job at stalling the volcano. The evacuations were going really well, and the majority of the people in the most immediate danger had been rescued. J'onn was thankful for that; though he could sense that the majority of the League was tired, he was pleased to see how well they had pulled together. Wonder Woman and he were working well together, and Batman, Flash and Hawkgirl seemed to have a good system going; both Hawkgirl and Batman would encourage people to get on the transports, and help all who needed help, and if there were those that seemed reluctant, Batman would merely scowl at them, or Hawkgirl would glare at them. Usually, that got all the people onto the transports where they could be taken to safety. Flash's job was to run through the towns, and any other locations where there could be people, and bring them to the loading areas. Yes, their system was working out well.

He could sense that Diana was a little bit disappointed that she was unable to do more, but he could also sense that she understood how important the part of the mission they were on was. J'onn himself was also feeling a little bit disappointed that he could not do anymore, however, he was well aware of his own personal limitations; though he was almost as strong as both Superman and Wonder Woman, he could not tolerate heat like either of them. Along with fire, it was one of his greatest weaknesses; poetic justice, he felt. Mars was temperature wise, a cold planet; to add to that, he was one of the strongest people on the planet, and yet, a cigarette lighter from a dollar store could hurt him.

He could hear Flash now, "Man, I would kill for something to eat right now," and for the first time in his acquaintance with them, he could hear both Batman and Hawkgirl concur with Flash. He could sense that Diana was feeling a little bit weary, and he himself desperately desired a box of Oreos; maybe even two. Out of the entire League, it seemed that it was only Superman that was not feeling physically weary, but then, J'onn could not sense him as clearly as the others, so he may be beginning to tire; he had been down there for awhile.

* * *

><p>Physically, Clark was doing fine; mentally, however, he wasn't doing so well. Could Diana, Princess of Themyscira, really have a crush on Clark Kent? It really did not seem possible; the most beautiful woman in the world looking at old Clark Kent as a potential suitor?<p>

"It's pretty funny if when you think of it," thought Clark. "Here she is, Wonder Woman, who basically has the world at her beck and call, who could have anyone in the world is looking at Clark Kent, something that I had been trying for years with Lois, and failed miserably." The only problem was that Clark Kent was Superman, and Superman was married to her; if she figured out that he had been keeping this secret, and realized that he had been present when she was praising Clark to the skies…well, suffice to say, it would probably be very painful.

It was a pity that Clark was thinking these thoughts; if he had been paying attention, he may have been able to completely avoid the next part of the disaster.

* * *

><p>Wally looked up in the sky; there was a huge explosion on one of the mountain peaks. It looked as though Superman could not have stopped the eruption altogether. Then another explosion, which was followed by another three in quick succession; five mountains were exploding.<p>

"Ah, crap," said Wally, as he was taking out his communicator. "J'onn, Princess, Batman, Hawkgirl…we have a bit of a problem."

Batman's voice came through, "Yes we all know Flash."

"What are we going to do?" asked Wally.

This time it was Diana's voice that came through, "We are going to continue with the evacuation, and leave the volcano in the hands of Superman."

On the south side of the volcano, Hawkgirl asked, "But with Superman handle these eruptions? If he stops them, the Supervolcano may go off, and if that happens…" Hawkgirl trailed off.

Batman could understand Hawkgirl's worries; he had them himself. However, he knew Superman a lot better than she did. If anyone could pull off the impossible, it would be Superman.

Clark winced; he could both see and hear the eruptions occurring. He cursed himself, as he knew he should have been paying better attention. He could also hear the conversations of the League; their faith in him was encouraging; he knew he could stop the lava. That was not the issue; how was he going to stop the pyroclastic flow?

Taking his communicator, he said, "League, can you hear me?"

Quickly, the rest of the team present gave their affirmation.

Cutting to the point, Clark said, "I don't know how I am going to stop the pyroclastic flow, does anyone have any ideas?"

Wally piped up, "The pyro-what flow?"

"Later Flash," said Superman.

"I have a plan, Superman," said Batman.

"What is it?"

"Fly around the eruptions as fast as you can; over the top of it, below it, on the sides, so that your body is stopping the flow from coming out."

Widening his eyes, Clark said, "Batman, there are five eruptions, the flow moves at almost 500 miles per hour! Do you know how fast I will need to fly?"

"Pretty fast, I would say," said J'onn. "Do you think you can do it Kal-El?"

"I really do not know," was the reply.

"There is something else Superman," Batman said.

"What else?"

"There is the risk that the pyroclastic flow could become a pyroclastic surge, which moves at about 650 miles per hour."

"Great," Superman said sarcastically.

Diana piqued up, "Kal, I know you can do it." Though he couldn't see her face, Clark could feel her confidence in him.

"Thanks Diana."

Clark took a breath, than x-rayed the area to make sure that the entirety of Yellowstone did not explode while he was containing the flow. He knew that he could not leave it for very long. Just then, J'onn's voice came through the communicator, "Superman, do you think if I was able to get some sort of second skin that could withstand the heat in the super volcano that you would have enough time to stop the pyroclastic flow?"

Thinking quickly, Clark replied, "Yes, I believe so; what sort of 'skin' do you have in mind?"

"It is something that I have developed in my spare time; basically it allows me to be near fire without feeling the pain; it should withstand the heat down where you are."

"Alright, if you are sure about it," acquiesced Clark.

* * *

><p>Turning to Diana, J'onn said, "I will have to teleport to the station; do you think that you will be able to continue here alone?"<p>

"Of course," replied Diana, "go, GO!"

When J'onn had left, Diana hoped and prayed that he would be able to get to where Kal was in time; with her heightened senses, and the reports from Flash, who was monitoring the area, she could tell that the danger was on its way.

* * *

><p><em>One minute later – <em>

Clark was speeding to where the danger was; he was flying just short of light speed. The only way that he could come close to stopping it was if he flew faster than he had ever attempted to in Earth's atmosphere. This was going to be a learning experience for all.

* * *

><p><em>Alright, well there it is…for now. Sorry about the de<em>_lay; would you believe I had the majority of this chapter written up about five days after the last one, but I hit the infamous 'writers block' and for the life of me, I could not figure out how to end this chapter._

_Anyway, I hope you all like it! _

_KD _


	11. Chapter 11

_Hey all…I am back in business….or back in writing…yeah that works. _

_Well, I own nothing! _

* * *

><p>CHAPTER 11 –<p>

Moving at about Mach 5, Flash was checking various areas around Yellowstone. He was doing one of his last checks on the areas closest to the Supervolcano; if there was any form of life left around here, he would have to do his best to get them out as quickly as he could. However, things would be a little more hectic, as he would also have to dodge any falling debris that could come his way. Flash than saw something way up on one of the exploding mountains. It was a little cabin; it was so well blended with the normal surroundings of the mountain that it was virtually undetectable. However, in Wally's opinion at least, with all the falling ash, it stuck out like a sore thumb. Speeding up there, he saw an older couple sitting in their rocking chairs on their porch, seemingly waiting for the end to come.

Immediately, Flash yelled, "Can you hear me? I am here to help you."

In reply, the man said, "We don't want none o' your help."

Confused, Flash said, "What do you mean? This whole mountain is going to blow!"

The man's wife said, "Timothy built us this home, and Vera and me are going t' die in this home."

"Are you crazy?" yelled the Flash. "You can't be serious!"

"Oi there boy, we're completely serious; you should get your butt moving to where it is safe though. We've seen you on the TV, and we know that the world don't want to lose its Flash."

Getting on his communicator, Flash said, "Yo Bats, quick question, what happens if we find a couple of people that do not want to be saved?"

In reply, Batman said, "You respect their wishes, and move on."

"WHAT?"

"I know it sounds harsh, but if that is their wish, you have to respect it, because it is well within their rights as human beings. Besides, there are other people that want and need to be saved."

"But…"

For the first time that he had known Batman, his voice actually softened. "Flash, I know what you want to do, and I know how you feel. But if these people do not want to be saved there is nothing that you can do."

Looking back at the old couple, Flash sighed. Batman was right; if they did not want to be saved, there was nothing that could be done. However, he thought about what Superman would do. He would respect their wishes, but he would do everything in his power to save them. Looking up, he could see that he was already doing everything that he could to save them.

Looking at them one more time, Flash asked, "Are you sure that you do not want me to get you guys out of here? Because once I go, chances are that I will not be able to make it back. This is your last chance."

The couple looked at each other, and the house that they had built. It only took a second, but for Flash, it seemed like it took an eternity. "We thank you sonny. But we are determined to stay. Good luck in saving the other people though." The old man seemed to stop and think for a minute, and then said, "If you happen to find a little Miniature Schnauzer around here, his name is Fritz. He's ours, but he ran away when the volcano began to rumble. If you find him, and we ain't made it, please, consider him yours."

"Ok," was the only thing that Wally could say.

As he blurred away, he realized something. For the first time in his life, he knew that being a superhero was not all it was cracked up to be.

* * *

><p><em>Meanwhile – <em>

So far the skin was working out well; J'onn was most happy about this. His weakness to flame was one that was ever changing. One day, an entire building on fire could have almost no effect, while the next, a cigarette lighter seemed to make his body feel like it was exploding and imploding in the same time. It was a most irritating and confusing problem. Granted, he knew that it was a weakness that had been inbred in the Martian race for generation upon generation; however, he knew, to be a good hero, he would need to continue to work on his weakness. Generally, though, the pain that fire gave to him was an agony.

Due to the continued variance of his weakness, he created a skin that would allow him to be near the flame, but would not allow him to feel its effects as much. Instead of it being like a knife that was digging through his body, and reaching into his very soul, it was more like a fly bite. It was irritating, but he could live with it. Though there was one thing that was bothering him; he hadn't officially tested his skin, and the temperatures underneath the volcano were excruciating. He now could only hope that he had built it well.

* * *

><p><em>Speeding faster than a speeding bullet (...sorry everyone...I just <strong>had <strong>to say the age old cliche. Lol) – _

Clark was now moving faster than he had ever attempted to while in the Earth's atmosphere. Sure, while he was in space he had moved a lot faster, but this was different. If he went any faster than the speed that he was moving at, the winds and forces that he would generate would do more harm than good. On the other hand, if he moved any slower, there was the worry that he would be unable to stop the surge. Indeed, it was quite the fine line. Clark had to keep his mind focused on what he was doing; one slip up, and the consequences would be disastrous.

He tried to keep his mind focused; however, he was surprised when he heard a scream. It sounded like the Flash…

* * *

><p><em>Flying somewhere – <em>

Diana was evacuating one of the last military trucks by carrying it to safety, where it could drive by itself. However, the shrill scream of her communicator startled her slightly; that being said, as a warrior, she would never admit to it. Taking a deep breath, she gently placed the truck down on the ground, and replied to the communicator. It was Hawkgirl who answered.

"Princess, Flash needs help. He says he has badly burned his foot; you are the one that could get to him the fastest, please, save him. He's on the far side of the mountain chain."

"I am on my way. Give me his coordinates."

Taking off as fast as she could, Diana hoped that she would get there in time.

* * *

><p><em>Underneath the surface – <em>

J'onn could feel the burn; and unfortunately, it was not the term used when one engages in exercise. His second skin just was not ready for the workout that it received in the heat of the volcanoes. It had performed admirably, but it finally gave way, and J'onn was now being broken down by it.

It was near impossible to describe what he was going through. The heat and fire happened to catch him on a bad day, and due to this, it was excruciating. It felt like every cell of his body was screaming out in the most painful and crazed agony. His stomach tied its self into dozens of knots, and his head felt like it was going to explode.

Despite all of this, he pressed on. His resolve was based on the fact that, if he did not press on, more than just he would suffer. It could result in the destruction of the entire planet. This was something that the Martian Manhunter would not allow to happen. Not again.

* * *

><p><em>Flying towards Flash's last stated position – <em>

Diana was flying at top speed; she could see how Flash could have burned his foot. The lava around where he was had hardened to the point where he could have run over it. However, if he stopped, even for a second, it would have given way, and likely, that is what happened. Diana than saw red: red and yellow to be exact.

On top of a rock, about 30 feet away, surrounded by lava, she saw Flash holding a little Miniature Schnauzer dog.

Smiling, Diana said, "Only you Flash."

Looking up, Flash replied, "What?"

"Only you would allow yourself to get injured while saving a little animal."

"And you wouldn't Ms. Animal Empathy?"

Feeling her smile grow bigger, she retorted, "Nope. Since I can communicate with animals, I would get him to jump into my arms, or tell him how to get out of danger."

Flash chuckled lightly at this, but winced slightly. Noticing this, Diana asked, "How bad is it?" while gesturing at his foot.

"Bad; I've never been burned like this before."

"Hera, it does look bad, but…" That was as far as Diana got. The volcano rumbled its displeasure at it not being able to spew forth its fury. Moving quickly, she scooped both Flash and the dog up, and flew out of there. Time was not on their side.

* * *

><p><em>Sorry about the long wait folks. Life…you all know what it is like. Anyway, hope you enjoyed this chapter.<em>

_I found it hard to describe J'onn's weakness, and that was the part that took me the longest. However, I hope I did a good job in showing it. Please, let me know!_

_ By the way, what do you think about Batman and Flash's conversation? I hoped that I showed in a proper manner that Batman is not a machine or anything, but is still a human, and feels human emotions. _

_Anyway, as usual, all constructive criticism is welcome!_

_See everyone later! KD_


	12. Chapter 12

_Hi folks! Looks like I'm back in action. As always, I own nothing...man, I have really got to get a new saying going. _

CHAPTER 12 –

* * *

><p>Clark sighed in relief; the volcanoes had decided to give him a break, and the worst of the pyroclastic flow was over. He had heard that Flash had been injured, but that was being taken care of by Diana, who evidently had everything under control. Leave it to Flash to get injured helping a small animal.<p>

What was on his mind right now was J'onn. Though the Martian had not communicated anything that would have had anyone suspect that he was in trouble, Clark had a feeling. His gut was telling him to check on his friend, and take over for him.

"Batman,"

"Yes, Superman, what is it?" asked Batman, with an irritated voice.

"Have you heard from J'onn yet?"

Bruce paused. He had just been dealing with an overweight woman, with a deep southern drawl. She had been visiting extended family, but was put out that she was not evacuated in the same truck that they were. She also seemed to be immune to his patented Bat-glare; suffice to say, there were few things that Bruce hated more than when people were able to stand up to his glare. Also, with all the things that had been happening up until this point, he had not thought about J'onn. J'onn had not communicated with him for over 20 minutes; the League protocol dictated to communicate with at least one other teammate every five minutes, to ensure everyone's safety.

"No, I have not heard from J'onn." Opening the communication lines to the rest of the League, he asked, "Has anyone heard from J'onn?"

After a few seconds, the rest of the League replied that they had not been in communication with him. Bruce waited a minute longer, hoping that J'onn himself would reply. There was nothing.

"I'm going under the surface to make sure that he is ok," said Superman.

"Kal, even if he is alright, you should send him up to the surface. It cannot be easy for him to be down there."

"Yes, Diana, I know, thank you."

Clark zoomed into the lava, and within a few seconds, he saw his target. Unfortunately, it was not a good sight.

"Superman to the League, do you read me?" as he surfaced from the lava.

"Copy that Superman, what is the situation?"

"I have J'onn, but he is really bad shape. I think that his skin-suit thing malfunctioned, I'm going to take him to the Satellite, and put him in the medical bay."

"Move fast."

"Copy that."

And with that, Superman, carrying the limp form of the Martian Manhunter, blurred up into the sky.

* * *

><p>The heat and fire of the lava, angry for his attempt at trying to deny its power had left him feeling drained. He could also feel thunder crashing in his head. Now the world was blurry. However, from what he could recognize, he was in a white room. Turning his head to the left, he saw something red beside him; red with a little bit of yellow, if his fuzzy interpretation of the room was to be trusted. On the other side, he could see something blue. Blinking, the blue thing took the form of a muscular man with an S shield on his chest.<p>

"J'onn can you hear me?"

After a second or two of attempting to speak, J'onn was able to reply, "Yes, Kal-El."

"How are you feeling?"

"To be honest, not too well; how is Flash?"

"He's doing ok; he has badly burned his foot. He should be able to walk within a week, but probably won't be able to run for at least a month."

"Why is he asleep?"

"Even though he was wounded, he wanted to help people; in the end, it took Hawkgirl to administer a sleeping drug to quiet him down. He has been out ever since."

"How is the situation in Yellowstone?"

"Everything is back to normal. The Supervolcano has been neutralized, and the evacuees are returning to their homes."

"Thank goodness. How long have I been asleep?"

"About a day and a half; we've all been taking turns watching the two of you."

"So the mission was a success?"

"Yes."

"Good," said J'onn, as he stretched out. "I wish I could have been a better help. If only my suit had not malfunctioned."

"The mission would not have been a success without your help. Now, get some rest, old friend. You've earned it."

Clark's reply was a light snore. He chuckled. As he turned to exit, the door opened, and Diana walked in. Making a motion with his hands, he told her to be quiet, and walked with her into the hallway.

"How is J'onn?"

"He's going to be fine. I think Flash is going to be alright as well."

"I wonder if he is actually going to keep that dog," said Diana, smiling at the memory of Flash and the little dog.

"Well if those people are still alive, I doubt it, but…" suddenly, Clark could feel his mood darkening slightly.

"Kal, you can't save everyone."

"I know; I just wish that I could do more."

"So do I, but we were doing all we could do, and that is all we can do."

"That's cliché."

"Oh well, that's life."

"Another cliché," said Clark with a smile.

"Oh, be quite you!" She said with

A thought crept into Diana's mind, "Do you mind if I change the subject?"

"Not at all; what's up?"

"I just wanted to talk about that cute Clark Kent. Do you think that he would like to interview me again?"

"Ahem…ah…I'm…er…yeah, I suppose Diana."

"He just seems to be enigma. I think that his clumsiness is an act. I think that he does it so that no one will know what he is on the inside."

Clearing his throat again, Clark asked, "And, do you know what he is on the inside?"

"I believe so."

"What is it?"

"That is for me to know, and you to figure out." Diana said with a most cheeky smile.

"But…"

"No buts!" she said. "I enjoy Mr. Kent's company so much that I could easily spend hours and hours just talking and figuring out what goes on in that brain of his."

"What?"

"I know? Isn't it surprising? Clark Kent is a person most people wouldn't give two glances at. However, there was something about him that is just so…you know? I cannot think of the adjective to describe him. He's tall; he's dark, and decidedly handsome. He's a gentleman and treats people with respect. I think he is a superman…"

Clark did not know how to reply to this. Here Diana was praising his alter ego; all the while thinking that he was someone else. Boy, did it get confusing. He could feel his face burn, and felt the sweat coming out of his head. He had just come out of hot lava without so much as a scratch, and yet, with only a few short sentences, this woman has done something that only Kryptonite has been able to do. However, Diana's face, expectant for a reply, jerked him out of his quiet reverie.

"I never really thought of him like that. How are you able to find all this out about Kent?"

Diana replied, "I can do this thanks to my warrior training. It taught me how to look for details, however small or seemingly insignificant. From a person's build, to a person's hair…even their eyes."

"Really?"

"Yes; in fact, Clark Kent's eyes are very unique. I wonder why…er, do you know what those types of bowl things are used in place of glasses?"

"Contact lenses?"

"Yes! I wonder why Clark does not use contact lenses. His already pretty face would be made so much prettier. In fact," Diana said, with a slight turn of her head, "I would go so far as to say that he would be beautiful without his glasses on."

"Uh, you don't say."

"Kal, am I making you feel uncomfortable?"

"Maybe a little bit Diana, why?"

"You are red as a rose, and you're also sweating. Is there something wrong with what I have said? I understand most normal married couples don't talk about other people like this, but this situation is not exactly normal is it?"

"You have no idea."

Turning with a smile, Diana said, "Actually, I believe I do…Clark."

* * *

><p><em>I hope I wrote J'onn right, and explained his weakness properly. As to the suitsecond skin thing…I have no clue if that is actually in an official story, but let's say that the skin is supposed to protect J'onn both physically and mentally. _

_I had thought to make Diana keep Clark guessing (and sweating!), but I felt mercy. Lol_

_Anyway, anything to improve? Thanks!_

_KD_

_PS _

_Sorry about the wait - I wrote this chapter up pretty quickly, but I was never confident about it. That and...of course...the dreaded, **Clichéd, **L-word. You know, Life? _


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13 - _I own nothing. _

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><p>After saying quite possibly the most shocking thing Clark had heard in months, Diana turned on her heel, and sauntered off. For a full ten seconds, he had to just stare – somehow she had figured it out! Not only that, but now she was just teasing him. If Clark was perfectly honest, the first thing that his mind thought was "Whoa, what a woman!" However, his Kryptonian logical side came out, and it told him to move, fast.<p>

Diana had just walked through the doorway into the corridor when she felt a huge gust of wind, and her husband suddenly appear in front of her. In a deadpanned manner, she replied, "You do realize I find that extremely irritating, don't you Mr. Kent?"

"How did you figure it out?"

"Well, I have to admit, your disguise is really quite amazing. I'm still slightly angry at myself for not noticing who you were sooner. However, it was your eyes that gave you away."

"What do you mean?" Clark asked, though having a hunch as to what the answer would be.

"You have the most unique eyes that I have ever seen. They are a shade of blue that I have never noticed before. That was what really gave you away, but also the fact that I could see your muscles through that huge suit of yours, and how you overplayed your role."

Her reply was a look of confusion. To clarify, she replied, "You were just a little too nervous. If you had played it down a bit, I probably could not have remembered what Clark Kent looked like, and you're secret would still be safe. However, you drew too much attention to yourself."

She figured Clark would either frown or try to justify himself. What she did not expect was a hearty laugh. "I never would have thought that my being a fool would've ever tipped anyone off to my being Superman. Well done Diana."

"Don't think I'm letting you get out of this one easily. I'm mad that you could not tell me on your own. Why didn't you?"

"Well, you mean aside from the fact that we've really only known each other for a few months?" Though she could understand his point there, it really didn't help her feel any better about this. While she was not mad exactly, she did feel hurt in some way. She couldn't really understand why, but that was how she felt.

"But even so Kal; you could trust me."

"But I do. I was actually planning on telling you."

"Oh really? When?"

"Well, to be honest, I was planning on the near future. I thought about telling you when we were doing the interview, but I didn't know how you'd react."

A frown was all the reply she gave him. "Ok, I realize that its not the best excuse in the world, but hindsight is 20/20."

With a small chuckle and grin, Diana replied, "Now whose talking clichés?"

Clark couldn't help but return the smile. Getting serious, he said, "Well, I think that there is a lot for us to talk about."

* * *

><p><em>Meanwhile<em>

Two objects hurtled through space. One was much smaller, but having thrusters, it was coming at a much faster speed than the other. Bravely, it zipped around the growing mass that was the asteroid that had been dubbed by the media, "New Krypton". This one was a light of hope and peace.

The other, larger object, travelling without the aid of thrusters, was a message of a day of doom and despair. It narrowly missed hitting New Krypton, but a chunk of rock hurtling beside the huge mass did sideswipe it. Slightly cracked and moving even slower, the object continued on its journey.

* * *

><p><em>2 days later<em>

Diana, though letting Kal off the hook, had not totally forgiven him. However, he had promised that he would introduce her to his mother soon. Also, he had invited her over to his apartment in Metropolis; he said that she had a right to see how Clark Kent lived. He had also told her several stories about his life; she, in turn, had told him several about her life in Themyscira.

Just thinking over their conversations over the past two days, she couldn't help but smile. Though she made a pretense of his talking about himself in the third person had been annoying, secretly, she found it endearing. Also, she found the look he got when he spoke of his past very appealing.

However, she did notice some sadness whenever he talked about his father. She knew that he had died several years ago, but there was something still there that needed to come out. Kal was still hiding something. However, while she was curious, she decided that, this time, she would wait for Kal to tell her himself. For some unknown reason, she felt that she would like it that much more if it came from him on his own.

This being said, she was still a little bit angry at him for keeping the secret for so long. It did not make any sense to her, but she almost felt betrayed that he felt he had to hide who he was from her. While her logical side was telling her that it was very practical of him, the emotional side screamed out how wrong it was. Was wrong the right choice of word?

To add to this, it was not only in this case that he had her questioning herself. Many of the teachings her sisters had taught were proved to be blatant lies; the more time that she was around Kal, J'onn and Batman, or even Green Lantern or Flash, she could see that there was not only a lot of good in them, but there was also a lot that her sisters could learn from them.

Kal never judged anyone. He gave everyone a fair chance. He gave his opinion only when asked, and did his best to be impartial. Never did he allow his personal feelings to get in the way. He was a beacon of light and truth.

Batman, though being a dark and mysterious person, was similar in the fact that he always did what was best for the situation. Never did he ever allow his personal feelings to get in the way of protecting the innocents. Even when faced insurmountable odds, he never gave up, and it was an inspiration to the rest of the team.

J'onn shared similar qualities with both Kal and Batman, but there was one way that he was different. He was loyal. Though he was not of this world, and had lived for hundreds of years on Mars, the loyalty that he felt for his new adopted home world surprised her. Kal had basically been raised here, and all his memories were here, and therefore, his loyalty would come as no surprise. Batman, Flash, and Green Lantern were both human, so their loyalty would be unquestionable. However, J'onn would do virtually anything to protect the people of Earth. Proof of that could be seen in injuries that he had suffered in Yellowstone.

Green Lantern was the one that she knew the least of, and yet, she could still respect him for the dedication he had, not only for the team, but also for the Green Lantern Corps. He always tried to help.

And finally, there was Flash. Obviously the youngest and most immature person of the team; and yet, it is thanks to him that she could see that men could not only be fun, but they could also be hopelessly naïve. Far from the cold, calculating, deceitful and cunning creatures that her sisters painted them out to be; Flash was about as far away as one could possibly get from that description. Though he was often comic relief, he was, in many ways, one of the most important assets to the team.

However, though she had noticed all of these various qualities in the team, it had been her experiences with Kal that had opened her eyes. Up until she started associating with him a little bit more, she had clung to those false teachings.

Her reverie was interrupted when Hawkgirl walked into the cafeteria. "Did you hear? There is going to be a meteor shower tonight."

"Oh, is that so?"

"Yep, so J'onn, Hal and Superman are probably going to have to make some repairs tonight."

A new voice joined the conversation, "Yeah, why is it that the three of us are always the ones that have to make the repairs?"

Diana smiled and replied, "Because Batman and Flash cannot fly and Hawkgirl and I cannot survive the vacuum of space Hal."

"And," Hawkgirl added, "why should the ladies have to do that sort of work when we have three strong men to do it for us? Ever hear of chivalry?"

"But I thought chivalry was dead."

"Maybe it is, but should it be?"

"…I really don't have an answer for that."

Hawkgirl then changed the topic, and asked Hal if he had ever flown through a meteor shower before. Diana, however, had sunk back into another reverie once again, and didn't get to hear his reply. She had seen many a meteor shower on Themyscira, but she hadn't ever been very close to one before. This would be a new experience for her. And for some reason, she wanted Kal there to share it with her.

Excusing herself, she went to the communications room, and hit Kal's signal.

"Superman here."

"Kal, it's me. Can you talk?"

"Of course, but make it quick, I have a meeting to get to."

"Alright; are you busy tonight?"

"Um, not to my knowledge, why?"

"I was wondering if you could come up here and watch the meteor shower with me."

"I don't think I can," he said. "I've got plans tonight."

"Oh," was Diana's only reply. She was very disappointed, but she chastised herself. She didn't own him, and of course he led an active life. Still, it kind of stung.

"Yes, and those plans concern you," went on Kal. "You see, you and I are going to watch the meteor shower, but we are going to watch it here on Earth."

Confused, Diana asked, "What do you mean?" First of all, she was on duty tonight, and couldn't leave the station. The next thing is that wouldn't the station be the best place to watch it?

"What I mean is that I've got Hawkgirl and Hal to cover your shift for this evening. I'm taking you to meet my mother."

* * *

><p><em>That's all – hope you all enjoyed it – kinda fluffy, but I got a couple of cliffhangers here. <em>

_KD_


End file.
